The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, yesterday, called on military officers involved in the operations, code-named Operation Crocodile Smile, in the Niger Delta region to desist from harassing innocent villagers along the Warri and Forcados Rivers in Delta State.
“In the past two days, villagers plying these waterways have been subjected to all sorts of harassment and in some cases, deprived of having access to their communities,” spokesperson of the council, Mr Eric Omare, said in a statement.
“From Monday till this morning (yesterday), several people going to communities such as Ogulagha, Odimodi, Ijaw Oborotu, Forcados and other surrounding communities were denied from accessing their communities.
“This has now resulted in cases of communities having shortage of food with possible humanitarian crisis. This is condemnable and totally unacceptable. The military must have respect for human rights in their activities in the Niger Delta,” he said.
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