Hundreds of Ogoni people took to the streets on Saturday to protest the military invasion of Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The protesters, who carried white mock caskets, expressed sadness over the raiding of the Yeghe community in Gokana by soldiers, maintained that the action of the military was politically motivated.
They added that some indigenes of the area lost their lives in the incident that lasted for two days.
Eighteen persons were said to have died during the invasion, even as the house of a former militant leader in Yeghe community, Solomon Ndigbara, was razed while the campaign office of a senatorial candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, was also touched.
One of the leaders in Ogoniland and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Lee Maeba, decried the invasion of the place, adding that the action of the military was unnecessary.
Maeba recalled that many lives were lost during the raid and called on the Federal Government to order the withdrawal of soldiers illegally operating in Ogoniland.
According to him, “My appeal to the Federal Government from this day is for the withdrawal of soldiers operating illegally in Ogonilans. All military personnel should go.”
Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani, who is from Gokana Local Government Area, explained that the invasion of the area by the military negated values of popular democracy.
Kobani expressed shock that some members of the All Progressives Congress were in support of the raiding of Ogoni communities by the military.
He said, “What happened on those two days of infamy; those two days of rage, ought to have been condemned by all persons around the country. The invasion is condemnable.”
