On the morning of Monday, August 17, 2009, the JTF in Sama, Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers state executed an unarmed man and dumped his body into the river.

The youths from the area mobilized and carried out a reprisal attack on the army unit responsible for the extrajudicial killing and killed a soldier and went away with his rifle.

Such irresponsible actions by the military even if it is targeted at civilians is not acceptable and can jeopardize the current ceasefire if repeated.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) stands behind communities who take actions to defend themselves and retaliate extrajudicial killings by the military.

Jomo Gbomo