The palace of the Paramount Ruler of Bilabiri Kingdom, His Royal Majesty King Paul Brakere-Seide, was among houses razed on Friday during the alleged military invasion of the Bilabiri I and Bilabiri II communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The alleged invasion of the community is coming over two weeks after some military personnel were reportedly killed along the coast of Atlantic Ocean in Agge axis of the area.
It was gathered that the military stormed the community at about 10am Friday, with about sixteen gunboats, shot sporadically into the air and began burning down some selected houses in both communities including the palace of the paramount ruler and those of suspected ex-militants.
According to an eye witness, although no life was lost or arrests made, it the military action lasted for over three hours, forcing the indigenes to flee to the forest for safety of their lives.
Confirming the invasion, the Paramount Ruler of Bilabiri communities, HRM King Paul Seide, in a telephone chat with our correspondent said he had to hide in the forest during the invasion.
His words: “We were all in my palace this morning when some of my subjects ran to me to inform me about military presence and asked me to run but I told him that I cannot leave my palace, but they pressurized me to run that they were over 16 military gunboats at the waterside.
“As soon as I left my palace they came and burnt down my palace into ashes and that of my younger brother. They did not arrest anybody or left any message. I have returned to my community to meet my palace burnt to ashes.
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The spokesman of Operation Delta Safe, a military Joint Task Force saddled with the responsibility of protecting oil facilities in Niger Delta, Major Jonah Jonah Unukhalu, could not be reached to confirm the attack, as he did not pick his calls or replied to a text message.
Until now, the military authority has not made any statement concerning the attacked.
