There was pandemonium yesterday at Oporoza, the headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, over alleged troops invasion of the community.

A source, who spoke on phone said the troops invaded the community with two gunboats and began to comb every nook and cranny of the community.

The source, who is one of the teachers at Gbaraun Grammar School, Oporoza, said he was calling from the deep of the creek and with him are over 11 students from the school.

According to him, “We have another military invasion at Oporoza as I speak to you now. We’re in the bush. I have about 11 pupils with me in the bush, hiding.

“We were doing our environmental exercise in the community this morning since we’re approaching end of the year.”

“Some members of the community vigilance group were at the river side and suddenly two gunboats – one SM gunboat and one 200 gunboat – just entered the community and military men came down with guns.

“We have to bolt into the bush because we can’t confront them as they’re armed.”

When asked why they ran into the bush since they’ve not committed any offence, the source said: “Our previous experience where they arrested 10 pupils and recently four made us to flee.

“Nobody wants to become a victim to them, again. The soldiers have deployed themselves into the creek as we speak now.”

He said he was not sure if the leaders in the community who were around before the invasion had not bolted into the creeks for fear of arrest.

He, however, disclosed that women of Oporoza were mobilising themselves to confront the troops as their colleagues did at Okpele-Ama/Tebujor community last week after troops invaded the village and two persons were arrested.

Speaking on the invasion on phone, acting secretary of Gbaramatu Traditional Council, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, said the invasion was ongoing without any stated reason by the troops.

“People are running helter shelter as we speak. Everybody is running to hide somewhere. We learnt that one of the gunboats of the troops is stuck inside the deep creek. Tell them to leave us alone; we’re not militants,” Gbenekama, who is the Ibe-Benemowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, pleaded profusely.

It would be recalled that Gbaramatu kingdom, had recently, alerted the world that troops were stationing houseboat at some waterfronts in the kingdom as well as Oporoza in preparation for possible invasions.

Since the outcry, Saturday’s morning made it twice that the people’s fear and allegations had seen the light of the day.

•Adapted from a Nigerian Tribune report. Photo shows troops on duty.