They equally insisted that militants bombing oil and gas installations in Delta and Bayelsa states must be fished out.
The ultimatum, the aftermath of weekend search for more militants must have informed why the residents were said to have fled into the bush under a down pour when the military invaded the communities.
Confirming the development, an Ijaw community leader and Chairman of Kokodiagbene Town Union, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who spoke from Kokodiagbene, said that passengers’ boats were impounded and thoroughly searched.
“As we are talking, no boat is coming in or going out. They have barred the people of Oporoza from fishing activities. The people cannot go out to get anything; they are intimidating the villagers that they must produce Avengers (Niger Delta Avengers) and Tompolo.
“Meanwhile, all the students, children and women are in the forest and there is a deliberate blockage of the waterways and food shortage is on the increase, military approach is not the best option; dialogue is the way.
“Any nation that continues years after years to spend more money on military defence rather than programmes of social upliftment is approaching a spiritual doom,” he said.
He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the military from Oporoza community and position them in a strategic locations to prevent the Niger Delta Avengers from further vandalism of pipeline and oil installation.
“The communities are deserted as more troops have been deployed to Oporoza and the surrounding hamlets, creating fears in the people,” Comrade Sheriff said.
“We welcome the military because of the activities of NDA and pirates. We believe the military will stem the tide of the activities, but the humiliation and intimidation of innocent citizens is unacceptable and unconstitutional.”
He added, “The NDA do not reside in Gbaramatu. They have adopted guerilla tactics to perpetrate their evil acts. The people are living in abject poverty and the Nigerian state should not add more hardship on them.
“The ecosystem is destroyed by the bombing, but the way the military is going, it will be difficult for the people to cooperate with them. The people cannot be tortured and you expect them to give you information. It is not possible.”
