Ijaw youths protest EFCC’s probe of Jonathan’s wife

The Eastern Zone of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) yesterday  continued its protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on what they called an unjust and unfair investigation of former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

They wondered why the Ibrahim Magu-led EFCC was turning overlooking other former first ladies and concentrating on only Mrs. Jonathan.

The protest, which started from Mile 4 in Obio/Akpor Local Government, caused heavy traffic on the popular Aba Road where they stopped at Port Harcourt office of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) before moving to Ikwerre Road.

Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “Leave our daughter alone”; “Oil lifting license must include Niger Delta people”; “Govt, stop Malabu prosecution”; “We don’t want Ibrahim Magu as EFCC boss”; “Stop war on corruption against Niger Delta”.

Addressing reporters after the protest, the Chairman of the zone’s IYC, Iyerifama Godswill Jaja said Niger Delta youths would no longer allow the EFCC to harass and intimidate Mrs. Jonathan.

Jaja said the protest was to draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, Niger Delta governors, the international community, human rights crusaders, among others, to the alleged maltreatment against the former First Lady and her immediate families.

The youth leader warned that if Mrs Jonathan’s property and those of her immediate families were not safe in the North, the property of prominent Northerners in Ijaw land would suffer similar fate.

He urged President Buhari to consider the development of Niger Delta region has paramount, adding that Ijaw youths were for peace, development and unity of the region.

jaja said: “The IYC in Eastern Zone questions the fairness of the Magu-led EFCC in turning a blind eye to the activities of former First Ladies. Transparency demands that Hajia Maryam Abacha, Mrs. Fatima Abubakar, Mrs. Turai Yar’Adua be equally probed by EFCC.

“Today, this protest is a wakeup call for President Buhari to urgently overhaul sectarian EFCC by immediately booting Magu out of office. Of course, we have no problem with Mr. President. We want the Federal Government to stop the arrest of Niger Delta activists and ex-militants.”