Soldier killings: Tears as Gov Diri visits troubled Bayelsa communities

It was a moment of tears as Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri visited the troubled Igbomotoru communities of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, of Bayelsa State, to sympathise with the people and assess the level of destruction in the area.

DAILY POST earlier reported that Igbomotoru 1 & 2 communities of the state were invaded by the military in search of the hoodlums responsible for the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

It was alleged that troops of the Nigerian Army in their desperate search reportedly invaded the community, razing houses, and allegedly killing innocent indigenes of the community.

The community has since the reprisal attack carried out by the Military been living in fear, hunger and torment, as every means of their livelihood was halted due to the heavy presence of the Military in and around the community.

Several sympathisers have questioned the rationale behind the attack on that particular community, when the incident happened in Delta State.

Igbomotoru community is the country home of one Endurance Amagbein, who was recently published by the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, Abuja, on its wanted list, for his alleged connection to the killing of the soldiers and military officers.

Apparently worried by the suffering of the people, Gov. Diri, on Tuesday, visited the community, and urged the people of Igbomotoru to return home, saying the Nigerian Army has assured the state government of their safety.

Diri visited the two communities with a high-powered delegation that included the Commander of the Nigerian Army 16 Brigade, Oluremi Obolo, to assess the situation in the area.

According to him, “soldiers have been deployed in the communities in search of the masterminds of the March 14 killing of 17 soldiers at Okuama in Delta State.”

Addressing the paramount ruler, chiefs, elders and youths of both communities, Diri again condemned the killing of the soldiers and charged the people, particularly the youths, not to allow themselves to be used as agents of criminality and destabilisation.

He wondered why the impact of an incident that occurred in Delta should be felt in Igbomotoru.

He said, “I have come to meet with you the Igbomotoro Community; in every season there is a time for everything, the era of militancy is over and this is the era of intellectual engagement. This is what your government is set to do and your government has been doing.

“Ijaw people are very intelligent people, we can compete with anybody anywhere in the world, and we should not be seen as cannon folders and this is a warning to all those who are still cannon folders to have a rethink.

“Your government is establishing schools, particularly schools with skills acquisition, science and technical colleges even in empowering programmes and we want our youths to key into it and drop your guns.

“Youths cannot take over leadership of the community by force, that is what we have started seeing in our communities and this again will be a warning to all of our traditional rulers, they must stay at home to lead the people and any traditional ruler that is not found in his base, I will promptly remove that traditional ruler.

“And my advice to the military is that they must painstakingly investigate the killings in Okuama to ascertain those that are culpable so that innocent people will not be sacrificed.

“The truth is that Ijaw people want those behind the killings in Okuama to be properly investigated and unveiled to the Nigerian public. They should face the wrath of the law. That is my humble appeal to the Nigeria military and all the security agencies.

“Those who must have sponsored even the killers all should be brought to book. You cannot imagine soldiers who are actually expected to secure us as civilians being brutally murdered in broad daylight.

“What are we looking for, is it the oil? Has oil actually become a curse in Ijaw nation rather than a blessing to Ijaw land? Has oil become a curse to Bayelsa State rather than a blessing to the people of Bayelsa State.

“That is why very efficient uncorrupted investigations should be launched, who knows if oil is part of what has led to these killings. We hear it is land issues, until the investigations are revealed we will not know what really caused this brutal killing of our security men. Nobody has the power to take the life of another man.

“We cannot go back to the days of Isaac Adaka Boro, this is a different era. Thank you for your patience and I believe that this will not happen again, not only in Igbomotoro Community but in all of our communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State and indeed in Ijaw land.

“The military has cooperated and they told me that you can go about your normal business, they will not hurt innocent people and I am sure that from when that incident happened until today, at least we are beginning to have total freedom in Igbomotoro Community.

“Please go about your normal business as we will continue to engage the federal government and the military high command so that this incident will be brought to a permanent rest.”