Some unidentified gunmen suspected to be militants on Thursday raped 28 female youth corps members in Abonnema, a town in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

A source said the militants invaded the residence of the corps members, who were posted to the town on primary assignment, and rounded up the ladies. He said the suspected militants went into every flat, raping the women at gunpoint after which they fled through the waterfront. He noted that Abonnema residents had been constantly terrorised by gangsters who relocated to the area after they were sacked from some of their locations in the creeks.

He said, “These boys are not fighting the Niger Delta cause. How can they fight the Niger Delta cause, when they continue to terrorise the people they are supposed to fight for? Abonnema has become a war front and people are fleeing their homes. Now, they rape women and threaten elders. They invaded homes of some female corps members and raped them at gunpoint.”

A security source told our correspondent that the Joint Task Force had deployed troops in the area to forestall the breakdown of law and order. He admitted that gunmen invaded the community and attacked defenceless persons, noting that the people had cried out to the authorities to intervene in the matter.

Our correspondent, who visited the Rivers State Secretariat of the National Youth Service Corps in Port Harcourt, was told that the state coordinator was not on seat.

However, a senior official of the organisation, who would not want to be named, said the NYSC was yet to receive a report on the incident from its field staff in Abonnema.

He said, “We have not heard anything like that. But we hope that if it happened, our staff in Abonnema will brief us before the end of the day.

“I will make contacts with them to know what transpired because we would have expected the affected corpse members to call us and report such incident. We gave them our telephone numbers before they left the camp.”

When contacted, the spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said troops had been deployed to Abonnema and Degema in Asari Toru Local Government Area of the state. He noted that the JTF Commander, Brig. Gen. Sarkin Yaki-Bello, ordered troops to move into the two towns as result of the increasing activities of militants, which tended to threatened peace and security.

Musa also noted that the naval component of the task force on Thursday had an encounter with militants along the Cawthorne Channel, which resulted in the killing of five gunmen. According to him, two AK 47 rifles and one speedboat were seized from them, adding that none of the soldiers sustain injury in the attack.

He said, “The Commander of JTF, Gen. Sarkin Yarki-Bello has decided to deploy troops in Abonnema and Degema areas of Rivers State. The decision to deploy troops in the above mentioned areas is based on undeniable report that these communities have high concentration of militants and related criminal acts.

“Above all, some militants’ camps are located in the general area. Community people were killed terrorised, maimed and in some cases, women were raped by the militants. Practically, people are begging for JTF’s intervention, hence the decision to deploy troops to the affected areas.”

http://punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200810251215339

Can you see what these rascals have turned into? And yet claim to be fighting for people's emmancipation.

Nigeria is bleeped up!

Okay these militants are now making a mockery of themselves and their so called struggle

Ijaw ppl good job guys. We now see how u fight for your own freedom. cheers

This is one of the saddest stories i've heard from nigeria.
However, generalizing that all militant groups in ND involve in such despicable act is not fair.

look we no need any more militants . . . . all na criminals

make dem go find work

criminals in despise!

damn! hmm

this is a very sad storry, this so called militants are thieves. am presently in bayesa for a visit come and see how small boys are driving on jeeps here and there. they have really gained alot from these pretends of fighting for the people. i know dey are waiting for the niger delta ministarial list. infact the military sud wipe them all including that so called father of niger delta called Clark he is a criminal. all of them

!! !!!

I know people posted to Rivers!!!

freedom fighters my foot

Firstly, those people should go and ask their Governors wetin happen to the 13% derivation before them carry guns dey destabilise everywhere. Dem say dem wan development yet them pursue oil workers comot, pursue Julius Berger comot, pursue local contractors comot, even sef villagers don dey pack comot, now na NYSC and they wan develop?

As for those NYSC sisters and daughters, it is quite unfortunate but NDDC must compensate them join and all corpers must redeploy in protest!

Kai! Na now I dey miss Papa Iyabo, I'm for don send plenty Zombie level the place or kpakpa sign them off to cameroon and their gendarmes.

Gbam!

If they were confirmed "militants", that just validated my take on these so called "militants" , that they are criminals. Simple!

How about if they were soldiers disguising as militants?
Whichever, if caught, they should be shot between their thighs!
Animals

where are all the niger delta apologists on this forum, una no go talk again ? your boy have proved themselves once again to be nothing but criminals

by the way, it is high time we scraped this hypocrisy called NYSC !!!

to the ladies affected , go for HIV test fast fast !!!, may God help all of you

and considering the trauma these ladies have faced i suggest NYSC should exempt them from this thing let them go get real employment. A woman can stomach robbery, but rape is like slow murder

Another sad story of how we Nigerians just cant think, how could you be raping people that you are fighting for? haba, if you are so sex-starved, he can afford to pay some Naira to ashewo and have some, but raping some innocent people, that is out of control and such men shd be maimed.
They want development, but like one person said, they are chasing away everyone and every foreign and dmestic companies, i wonder where the development will come from, they are chasing away the farmers and yet they said they are freedom fighter, they are bunch of a$$holes and i think the govt shd do something about it.
However, i blame the NYSC scheme for sending pple to such barbaric places.

No one can tell me about any stupid struggle or oppresion in Niger Delta. They are CRIMINALS!!!!!

I was in the Niger Delta Escravos, PortHarcourt, Nembe and Bonny for a long time And I can tell you that they are

criminals. The rob Banks in Bonny, rob markets, rape indegenes as part of their struggle for resource control

this is so sad.

Now all you hypocrits should shut up and mind your business in your own area of the country. The story said clearly "suspected militants"   now all you hypocrits are taking advantage of the hatred and fear you have for the true niger delta freedom fighters to associate them to this evil act.

What if those evil men are nigeria's military in disguise and perform such act that will lead big mouths like you all to start painting the true freedom fighters bad? I am sure they will be somewhere laughing at their success of scoring cheap point to discredit the good work of the freedom fighters while reading all these nonsense some of you are posting here without reasoning. They know well that such evil acts like this one anywhere in niger delter will lead all hypocrits like you all to associate it to the freedon fighters.

What if those people are ordinary street criminals that just arranged themselves and went on this evil act? I am 100% sure that MEND and other freedom fighters, the groups you fear so much will never and i repeat never engage in this kind of act. The people that did this evil act are simply ordinary street criminals and have nothing to do with the niger delta freedom fighters fighting for their people's rights.

Someone in one of the above comments is even quick to insinuate that all they know is to spend crude oil profit for themselves alone and went on to add that that is never going to happen! Who will stop them? Your people abi? so that your people can spend the same money recklessly at Abuja and Lagos and hide the rest in foreign bank accounts. Sorry, the freedom fighters will never allow you again. Gone are those days when they were sleping.

My question to you is, does the crude oil belong to you? Are you from the niger delata? The crude oil belongs to them the niger deltans and they have the sole right to spend the money accrued from it in any manner they wish. Let it not be your headache. You better go and mind your own fukcing business in your own area and spend your cocoa and groundnut money the way you feel and stop these jealousy.

The raping is an evil act and i hope the police and other security agents track and expose those evil men that did this. Yet again the question should be, who actually did this? So, stop associating this evil act to the niger delta freedom fighters when you are not sure. Until those evil men are found and exposed and convicted, you should shuut the Bleep up. What if the evil act was performed by ordinary street criminals or the same military that were sent to protect the lives and properties of ordinary citizens. Are we not talking of nigeria where anything goes?

Were those corps members kidnapped before being rapped or they went to the creeks in search of greener pasture? Don't say that you never knew that the millitants' den is very rich monetery, and I know what some desperate female corpers could do to make money.

QuotaSyste:

Now all you hypocrits should shut up and mind your business in your own area of the country. The story said clearly "suspected militants"   now all you hypocrits are taking advantage of the hatred and fear you have for the true niger delta freedom fighters to associate them to this evil act.

What if those evil men are nigeria's military in disguise and perform such act that will lead big mouths like you all to start painting the true freedom fighters bad? I am sure they will be somewhere laughing at their success of scoring cheap point to discredit the good work of the freedom fighters while reading all these nonsense some of you are posting here without reasoning. They know well that such evil acts like this one anywhere in niger delter will lead all hypocrits like you all to associate it to the freedon fighters.

What if those people are ordinary street criminals that just arranged themselves and went on this evil act? I am 100% sure that MEND and other freedom fighters, the groups you fear so much will never and i repeat never engage in this kind of act. The people that did this evil act are simply ordinary street criminals and have nothing to do with the niger delta freedom fighters fighting for their people's rights.

Someone in one of the above comments is even quick to insinuate that all they know is to spend crude oil profit for themselves alone and went on to add that that is never going to happen! Who will stop them? Your people abi? so that your people can spend the same money recklessly at Abuja and Lagos and hide the rest in foreign bank accounts. Sorry, the freedom fighters will never allow you again. Gone are those days when they were sleping.

My question to you is, does the crude oil belong to you? Are you from the niger delata? The crude oil belongs to them the niger deltans and they have the sole right to spend the money accrued from it in any manner they wish. Let it not be your headache. You better go and mind your own fukcing business in your own area and spend your cocoa and groundnut money the way you feel and stop these jealousy.

The raping is an evil act and i hope the police and other security agents track and expose those evil men that did this. Yet again the question should be, who actually did this? So, stop associating this evil act to the niger delta freedom fighters when you are not sure. Until those evil men are found and exposed and convicted, you should shuut the Bleep up. What if the evil act was performed by ordinary street criminals or the same military that were sent to protect the lives and properties of ordinary citizens. Are we not talking of nigeria where anything goes?

it's pathetic how you find a way to squeeze your political agenda into every thread

What a shame!!!! People who are supposed to be fighting for their freedom and rights. They just shot themselves in the arm with this.

Do you guys sincerely believe that it is impossible for ordinary Nigerians who have no business with freedom fighting to take advantage of breakdown of law and order to commit crime?

BLAME should be put at NYSC's desk for sending corps members to an insecure area. 

BLAME should be put on MEND and other freedom fighters for breakdown of law and order in the area. If they want to fight the Army and Police, they should police the area!!!

It is a sorry thing to happen but this action goes to show that if an uprising isn't well managed, people would fail to believe what you are fighting for. Many of the NLanders believe that MEND,IYC and othe IJAW freedom fighters took part in the rape as the Nigerian media has failed to let people realise that regular career criminals have long existed in the ND area like other parts of Nigeria and will use any opportunity to unleash their terror.

1luvkipsus:

Were those corps members kidnapped before being rapped or they went to the creeks in search of greener pasture? Don't say that you never knew that the millitants' den is very rich monetery, and I know what some desperate female corpers could do to make money.

The story said "they were in their flats,in their NYSC quarters"
If i was doing my NYSC,God knows i wud have never agreed to serve in such a place but still you cant rule out anything,it might be Just anybody.anybody can claim anything nowadays.sad story indeed.

ow11:

Do you guys sincerely believe that it is impossible for ordinary Nigerians who have no business with freedom fighting to take advantage of breakdown of law and order to commit crime?

BLAME should be put at NYSC's desk for sending corps members to an insecure area.  

BLAME should be put on MEND and other freedom fighters for breakdown of law and order in the area. If they want to fight the Army and Police, they should police the area!!!

It is a sorry thing to happen but this action goes to show that if an uprising isn't well managed, people would fail to believe what you are fighting for. Many of the NLanders believe that MEND,IYC and othe IJAW freedom fighters took part in the rape as the Nigerian media has failed to let people realise that regular career criminals have long existed in the ND area like other parts of Nigeria and will use any opportunity to unleash their terror.

Points made though, but differing a little I kind of feel that the militants are responsible, my take is based on that report by the punch. It stated that the villagers are begging for JTF the whole situation is sad, the struggle has been hijacked period.

This is really a sad event!

These MEND people are going too far.

I think the FG should do something about this issue.

darefestus:

This is really a sad event!

These MEND people are going too far.

I think the FG should do something about this issue.

Before you start masturbating, who told you it's MEND? Did the article mention MEND or did it say "suspected millitants" ?

.

Hi All,



As a Kalabari with friends and relatives in Abonnema and Degema, I'm really shocked to hear this sad news.  Very sad indeed because that's a most serious offence. 

That said though, we all need to calm down and step back before blaming it on MEND because we really do not know who actually committed these acts of madness.

It could have been anybody, for all I know, just like Quota rightly said.  It really could, simply to discredit MEND.  If it was MEND, then all I can say is that I'm very disappointed with them because that brings a different twist to the genuine struggles of the peoples of the Niger Delta.  I hope it wasn't them.  I really hope not.




kiwi992.

Why is it that people still believe that violence will bring about any meaningful change in Nigeria (as a whole)? I condemn this act of babarism outrightly and I hope those involved are swiftly apprehended and taught a really good lesson.

Now, what are these so-called freedom fighters fighting for? Why don't they ask the leaders of their states where all the derivation revenues they've recieved so far has gone to?

I used to believe that these guys could actually make a difference, but now it's clear for everyone to see. They are rascals and a perverted group of people and they should be treated as such.

If MEND (and other NG-D interest groups) really do want to clear their name, they should go after those boys who perpetrated this act because they are the main reason why there is an increase in the level of "militant" crimes.

I really hope those girls get over this trauma. This is the time to shout this guys down and tell them they are not acting on our behalf. The state government must act now and act decisively.

Unfortunately, that's a pipedream as most government officials are either members of these group themselves or are seriously indebted to these groups.

@Richyblack,
Abeg mind your language! I take comments like yours very personal.If Nigeria is f**ked up,wat about Somalia where U live?Besides, what are doing here on a Nigerian forum? Go instead to a Somalian forum. Dats if they have any at all? Yeye . . .

Militancy in Nigeria is not that uncontrolable. I strongly believe that our soldiers are up to it.

But people thinking that Army would just walk up to the militant camp and bomb it up are radiating ignorance. Cameroun can do that because they are not our people. Nigerian Army can be corrupt, but they are not babaric.

To solve ND problems, we first had to address their grievances and stop the blame game.

As for the NYSC, I think corp members shouldn't be posted to volitile regions. Afterall police are not posted to war zones.

This is sad. Nothing can make up for the degradation and psychological toture that those ladies are bound to be going through. I can imagine what their families are experiencing right now. There's no justification for this whatsoever. To those who are trying to suggest that those responsible were not necessarily freedom-fighters, I bet you would not be talking like that if you were in the shoes of the ladies or their families. There are no angles to this at all, it's criminal, simple as that.