JTF arrests most wanted ex-militant ‘Gen. Cairo’

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta region, Operation Pulo Shield, has arrested a most wanted ex-militant suspected to be behind the spate of Pipeline bombings and vandalization in the region.

Known as Seiyifa Gbereke, (Alias General Cairo), he was arrested in Yenagoa after the task force intelligence team tricked him out from his hideout in Warri.

Lt.Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the JTF Media Coordinator who paraded Gbereke before journalists at the JTF Headquarters in Yenagoa, Friday, told journalists that the ex-militant had been on the wanted list for about four months before he was finally arrested in Yenagoa.

Nwachukwu disclosed that Cairo has been the ring leader of a gang of eight who specialise in destroying pipelines across the region.

“He led a gang of eight to destroy Agip and Shell pipelines around various communities in the region, including Azabgene, Tuomo communities and around the Taylor Creek area.

Explaining how the 25-year old ex-militant was arrested, the Media Coordinator disclosed that he was lured from his hideout in Warri, Delta State to Yenagoa, in Bayelsa State, where he was arrested.

Speaking to journalists, Gbereke said the bombings and destructions of major oil operations in the region was aimed at drawing the attention of Federal Government to compensate him and his group, the Movement for Survival of the Niger Delta region.

He explained that after surrendering his arms during the Amnesty programme, the authorities failed to document them.

Accroding to him, all efforts to reach out to the Amnesty office of Mr. Kingsley Kuku were futile, despite protests carried out in Warri and Bayesa. According to him, all the petitions written to press home his demands ended without any result.

“We carried out the pipeline vandalizations and bombings so that government can give us what we want,” said Gbereke, who said he has 70,000 youths under his command.

Asked if he made efforts to reach out to the authorities concerned before embarking on his mission of destruction, he said, “we have made so many efforts, including protests along major roads by mounting road blocks in Warri and Yenagoa . We also wrote petitions to the amnesty director, Kingsley Kuku.”

On why his group refused to submit their arms during the first and second phase of the amnesty, he stated that, “we were all afraid, but government said we should still submit our arms, I submitted 9000 arms without compensation.

“We bombed Agip and Shell trunk lines, Beniseide, Tuomo Agip line s and others”, noted the ex-militant.

On how he sourced explosives, Cairo said he uses black power and Nitrate.”

Meanwhile, the JTF has disclosed that it is continuing with its investigation into Gbereke’s activities, adding that the ex-militant has given officers of the JTF useful information.

The Nation