The Udoda community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State protests continual attacks by thugs, military invasion and air raids in the area.
The Paramount Ruler of the community, Okaya Gospel (HRH), and the Youth President, Peter Francis, said over thirty indigenes had been killed since the raids and attacks started in 2019. He said the community was deserted because people’s houses and valuables were burnt during the various invasions and attacks.
Gospel accused the surveillance contractors securing pipelines that criss-crossed the community’s forest for their travails, saying that each time the people requested for basic amenities, their voices were quelled with attacks and raids.
King Gospel insisted that the community had not committed any offence to deserve such maltreatment and called on the Federal Government to come to their rescue.
The Youth President, Peter Francis, observed that though there were illegal bunkering activities in the bushes, such illegal acts were not happening in the community to warrant air raids and killing of innocent people.
He asked the military and the contractors to direct their operations in the forest and stop venting their anger on innocent indigenes and destroying houses and properties.
He recalled that in the last attack, unknown soldiers aided by some holigans ransacked people’s houses and stole over N30milion belonging to different people in the community.
