Nigerians with deep roots in the restive Niger Delta areexpected to begin a protest march in the commercial capital Lagos, today(Tuesday) to press home their demands for an end to clashes in the region. Thiscomes after President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua met Monday with governors in thearea to assess the security situation in the Delta State. The planned protestersare demanding an end to what they described as a continuation of governmentonslaught on the innocent civilians in the region. The government hasreportedly mobilized two Air Force bombers and 15 gunboats in pursuit ofmilitants blamed for the insecurity in the Niger Delta.
Annkio Briggs is ahuman rights activist in the Niger Delta. She told VOA that the clashes haveleft scores injured and an unspecified number of people killed.
"Today,in Lagos, there would be a protest organized by Ijaw women with sympathizersfor the Ijaw struggle and the genocide that is going on in Ijaw land rightnow,"Briggs said.
She said the federalgovernment prohibits protests in the restive region.
"We can't really organizesuch a protest anywhere in the Niger Delta because we won't be allowed toorganize such a protest and it will draw attention to what is happening to thepeople of Ijaw nation," she said.
Briggs described asunfortunate the ongoing clashes in the region between the government and themilitants which she said are having an adverse effect on the ordinary civilianpopulation there.
"Here is a government thatis waging war on its own people that is waging war on the people that isproviding the wealth of this nation. The vice president is an Ijaw and sincethis thing started he was in Sweden and he has not been able to reach thepresident and he has not seen the president," Briggs said.
She expressed shock at themeeting between President Yar'Adua and some governors to assess the securitysituation in the restive region.
"I am amazed to hear thatthe president has a meeting with all the six governors," she said.
Briggs said the heavilyarmed national army has been launching attacks on the defenseless population inthe region.
"Nigerian soldiers havedescended on Ijaw in that area and are using all kinds of arsenals on them, jetfighters on the hapless people of the Niger Delta," Briggs said.
She claimed the meetingbetween the president and the governor would not solve the problems in theregion.
"I don't think meetings needto be held by the president or by the governors for people to be able to knowwhat is going on and what they should do to stop it," she said.
Briggs said the area hasbeen deserted following the attacks by the national army.
"The whole place iscompletely abandoned there are dead bodies all over the place and it isappalling," Briggs said.
She sharply denied thatresidents of the restive oil rich region have been reluctant to holdnegotiations with the government to address their concerns.
"The people of the NigerDelta have been suffering from neglect and abuse and looting of our resourcesfor over 50 years. So, to say that Ijaws don't want to sit down and dialogue isnot true Ijaws want dialogue and they want it very desperately," she said.
She was skeptical aboutholding discussions with people she described as occupiers.
"How do you dialogue withsomeone whom you are occupying? The Niger Delta, particularly the Ijawterritory of the Niger Delta is completely over run by one form ofmilitarization or the other," she said.
Therewere initial reports suggesting that the Movement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) was planning a massive counterattack on strategic economicinterests and government forces positions in the Niger Delta.
Meanwhile, the main militant group (MEND) said it hasdestroyed two oil pipelines in the southern Niger Delta during the region'sworst outbreak of violence in months. In a Statement the group also said it hasordered the blockade of key channels for oil vessels as part of its campaign tocripple the country's multi-billion-dollar oil and gas industry.
The group accusedNigerian troops of indiscriminate use of missiles and bombs on severaldefenseless Ijaw communities in Delta State.
Militant groups inthe Niger Delta have often claimed they are fighting for a better control ofNigeria's oil resources, although they are accused of operating like criminalgangs.
Some politicalobservers say militant incessant attacks and bunkering on oil pipelines in theNiger Delta have cut Nigeria's output by around a fifth, helping push world oilprices to record highs since the beginning of 2006.