The new mothers were among thousands who ran into the forests when the Nigerian army’s recently set up Joint Task Force (JTF) and commenced ferocious hunt for armed militants in the region some weeks ago.

The attacks erupted in Gbaramatu communities in Delta State and have since spread across the deep creeks where MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) is believed to be hiding its fighters and war arms.

Resident senior nursing sister attached to the camp, Mrs. O. Perede said over 50 more pregnant women currently at the camp would be due for delivery soon. She also disclosed that most of the refugees, who are mainly women and children, had been agitating to go back home and resume normal life, which had been disrupted by the military invasion.

But they might likely remain at the camp much longer because the JTF is not relenting in its chase for MEND assailants and the militants are not showing any sign of surrendering or a desire to accept the presidential amnesty being offered them, if they willingly disarm.

MEND is an indigenous people’s movement dedicated to armed struggle against what they regard as the exploitation and oppression of the people of the Niger Delta and the degradation of the natural environment by foreign multinational corporations involved in the extraction of oil in the Niger Delta and the Federal Government of Nigeria. MEND’s objectives are to localize control of Nigeria’s oil and to secure reparation from the Federal Government for pollution caused by the oil industry.

But MEND’s approach of kidnapping, abduction, extortion and bombing of oil pipelines has drawn wide criticisms within and outside the country; and has slowed down oil production in recent years.

Several negotiations meant to end the Niger Delta crisis had been attempted to no avail by past and present governmental authorities. The Federal Government recently adopted a military option, which structured the 8000-man JTF, backed with warships and jet bombers. Their mission is to locate, uproot and destroy arms and camps of MEND fighters.

But human rights and religious organizations have criticized the “too severe” operation of the JTF that has forced thousands of civilians out of their homes into the bushes. However, the Federal Government of Nigeria seems to downplay these criticisms by sending more 4000 men last week to reinforce the JTF.