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Tag: Ijaw Youths Council (IYC)

  • IYC kicks as police post four commissioners to Bayelsa in two weeks 

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, has criticised the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, for posting four commissioners of police to Bayelsa State within two weeks.

    The Secretary-General of the IYC, Mr. Alfred Kemepado, said that it was suspicious curious for the Force Headquarters to post four commissioners of police to one state, within such a short period of time.

    He alleged that the action of the Force Headquarters alleged was a surreptitious plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to politicize the security architecture of the state using the police.

    He insisted that the aim was to cause  instability and destabilize Bayelsa and appealled to the police not to allow themselves to be used by politicians.

     

    Kemepado said the Commissioner of Police, Don Awunah, was removed after he had worked very hard in collaboration with sister security agencies to safeguard the state within a short period of his deployment to the state.

    He lamented the frequent change of guard in the leadership of the police in the state within two weeks following the redeployment of Awunah.

    He listed the police commissioners posted to Bayelsa in the last two weeks to include Joseph Mukan, Ahmed Bello, Ahmad Abdulrahman and Austin Iwar.

    He recalled that critical stakeholders had earlier warned against politicization of security in the interests of peace.

    Kemepado said that following the transfer of Awunah to the headquarters, Bayelsa had been left without a police commissioner.

    He said that the IYC’s investigations indicated that, no police commissioner had taken over from Don Awunah, almost two weeks after his redeployment from the state to Force Headquarters, Abuja.

    He said before any of the commissioners posted after Awunah could resume duties in Bayelsa, the police headquarters would issue a fresh directive changing the posting.

    “While it is the duty of the Force Headquarters to determine the posting of police officers to formations within and outside the country, we find it troubling that, four commissioners of police have been posted to Bayelsa State in the past two weeks.

    “We in the IYC, the umbrella body of all Ijaw youths across Nigeria are inclined to believe that, this frequent deployment of police commissioners to Bayelsa might be traceable to political desperation and tendency to cause instability in the state.

    “We wish to make it clear that, instability in Bayelsa, the only homogenous Ijaw State in Nigeria, could cause instability across the Niger Delta.

    “It is on this note that, we call on the Force Headquarters and the IGP to exercise restraint and resist the plot by desperate politicians to use police authorities to politicize the security in the state.”

    He warned that the IYC would mobilize against any attempt to cause instability to score cheap political goals in the state.

  • Ijaw leaders condemn invasion of Kuku’s house 

    Some Ijaw leaders Friday fumed over invasion of the home of former Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, by a detachment of the police.

    Kuku, who was the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) during ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, lamented that over 20 armed policemen stormed his house in Arogbo, Ondo State, in his absence.

    He said: “They broke the gate with sophisticated equipment, gained entry into the compound, vandalized all the doors in the house, ransacked all the rooms unaccompanied by anybody.

    “While this Gestapo-like operation lasted, some of the policemen shot sporadically into the air which made many people to scamper to safety.

    “This squad was led by a Superintendent of Police, Sunday Alli, who claimed to come from the Inspector General of Police Tactical Squad, for Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and Gun-running”.

    But Ijaw leaders described the action as provocative and advised security operatives especially the police to apply caution.

    The immediate past President of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, said Kuku contributed greatly to the relative peace currently enjoyed in the Niger Delta and did not deserve such crude treatment.

    Eradiri said such action of the police could puncture the existing peace in the region because Kuku is held in high esteem by his people especially the youths.

    He advised security agencies to adopt high level of professionalism and tact in handling sensitive cases adding that their actions could be misconstrued as intimidation and harassment.

    Eradiri further appealed to Presidential aides to stop behaving in a way that could portray their principal, President Muhammadu Buhari as an insensitive and autocratic leader.

    He said the aides should know that their actions would have great impact on the electoral fortunes of the President insisting that invading the home of an Ijaw leader without due process could be counterproductive.

    Eradiri said: “The invasion of Kingsley Kuku’s house in Arogbo, Ondo State, is to say the least provocative and a recipe for violence. Kuku is highly respected in hometown and the Niger Delta generally as an Ijaw leader for his contributions in bringing the peace we now enjoy in the region.

    “The way and manner the raid was conducted was undemocratic and unprofessional. The police, other security agencies and aides to the President handling matters for President Muhammadu Buhari should strive to protect him and stop portraying him as an insensitive and vindictive leader.

    “This type action is capable of breaching the relative peace in the Niger Delta region and pit the youths against security agencies. The peace in the Niger Delta came with a lot of efforts and deserve to be cherished. Security agencies including the police should work hard to sustain the peace”.

    Also a factional President of IYC, Pereotubo Oweilami, decried the invasion describing it as a war against the Ijaw.

    He asked President Buhari to call security agencies to order adding that the Ijaw remained the closest political ally to the north and did not deserve intimidation by the government.

    He said: “We admonish President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency and great concerns, call all his attack dogs to order so that they can desist forthwith from the unprovoked and unwarranted attacks against our people.

    “We expect Mr. President to see and also treat all Nigerians as his own by virtue of his position as the father of all Nigerians.

    “We also wish to urge Mr President to do something very drastic and timely too about the ceaseless and endless killings of innocent and defenseless Nigerians especially the recent killings in the North Central”.

  • Cultists kill commercial tricyclist in Bayelsa

    Cultists operating as thugs in the popular Tombia Market, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, have stabbed a commercial driver of a tricyclist, Keke Napep, to death in their failed attempt to rob him.

    The police, Thursday, said the suspects attempted to rob the victim, who hailed from the north, but killed him for resisting them.

    It was gathered that the killing caused tension in the area, forcing traders to close shops and run to different directions for safety.

    Colleagues and kinsmen of the victim were said to have gone berserk and later stabbed a youth they believed was one of the suspects to death.

    Fear of reprisal spread but the Central Zone leadership of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC),     the Bayelsa Volunteers and security agencies immediately intervened to restore order.

    The IYC Chairman, Mr. Tare Porri, immediately led a delegation to meet the kinsmen of the victim and sympathise with them.

    Porri asked them to remain calm and resist the temptation of taking laws into their own hands adding that crimes had no colour and tribe.

    He, however, complained about the nefarious activities of suspected thugs in the market who were fond of extorting money from Keke operators and other innocent people.

    “In this particular case they tried to extort money from the victim. But he told them he had no money because he just came out for business.

    “They got angry and stabbed him to death. If not because of our prompt intervention, it would have led to further bloodshed. We appeal to all the people in the state to remain calm and stop taking laws into their hands whenever there is provocation”, he said.

    Porri appealed to security agencies especially the police to maintain presence in the market to stop harassment of innocent people by thugs.

    The Chairman of the Bayelsa Volunteer Service, Mr. Douye Koroye, condemned the killing of the commercial driver describing it as barbaric.

    Koroye, who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youths urged youths to quit crime and take advantage of various opportunities created by the state government to make decent living.

    He commiserated with the deceased family  and asked security agencies to investigate the incident and bring the suspected cultists to justice.

    He said: “We call on the youths to be law-abiding, patriotic and responsible. Our governor has shown capacity to develop the youths. This is a youth government and we advise the youths to desist from crime and take advantage of the opportunities created for them by the government.

    “We warn that persons, who engage in cultism, are risking their lives. We have a new law in the state that stipulates stringent punishments for them. Cultists should renounce their membership now and embrace peace”.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said some persons had been identified and would soon, be arrested for investigations.

    He asked kinsmen of the victim to maintain the peace adding that persons who committed the heinous crime would face prosecution.

    Read Also: Cultists nabbed while robbing to bail arrested Leader

  • Police beef up security as IYC inaugurates clan heads in Bayelsa

    Police beef up security as IYC inaugurates clan heads in Bayelsa

    The Central Zone of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Friday, inaugurated executive committees for all the clans in the zone, which comprises Bayelsa State and some parts of Rivers State amidst heavy police deployment.

    The police as early as 7am sent about six patrol vans of heavily armed operatives to mount security around the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, where the clan heads and their executive members were sworn-in by the zone’s Chairman, Mr. Tare Porri.

    It was gathered that the police took the proactive measure to forestall possible breakdown of law and order following internal rancour between the central zone of IYC and the Oweilaemi Peretubo-led national leadership of the council.

    Hundreds of Ijaw youths, who trooped to the venue to partake in the inauguration were frisked by security operatives, who were stationed at the gate, before they were allowed access to the venue.

    Scanners and other security devices were deployed to search vehicles for explosives and other weapons.

    But the inauguration which was also monitored by the representative of the IYC National Deputy President, Mr. Esuku Belief, was successful despite initial protest by some clans that they knew nothing about the elections.

    Porri, who spoke after the inauguration, described the development as historic and set up a committee to look into all the complaints of some clans.

    He insisted that there was no rancour between the central zone and the national leadership of IYC adding that by virtue of the council’s constitution, the deputy national president coordinates zonal activities.

    Porri further said the central zone was united and peaceful and asked persons trying to foment trouble within the zone to keep off.

    He said: “We don’t have any issues with the President. We are ready to work together with the national leadership of IYC. I am committed to working together with the IYC worldwide to ensure that we all succeed.

    “We cannot be divided at this time. We know as a people the person who is constitutionally empowered to addressing issues in zones. The person in charge of coordinating zones is the deputy national president and we are working with him.

    “We are also working with the president so I am surprised that people are saying we are not working with him. IYC central zone is united there is no division and there is no crisis and so nobody should cause crisis in the zone.

    “They should go to the western zone to resolve the crisis there. Central zone is peaceful and we are all working together”.

    Porri, who said the IYC was not a Facebook organisation, advised the clans to use the opportunity given to them to render service to the Ijaw nation.

    He appealed to them to with their people and ensures peace in their clans and warned them against use their positions to cause crisis.

    “Don’t be involved in criminality, violence and crisis. Work with the zone to ensure that all out clans are peaceful and successful,” he said.

  • IYC compiles names of politicians behind abandoned NDDC projects 

    IYC compiles names of politicians behind abandoned NDDC projects 

    The Central Zone of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, Thursday, lambasted some unnamed leaders and politicians in Bayelsa State for hijacking and abandoning contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Rising from their meeting at Ijaw House, Yenagoa, the state capital, the IYC executive members in the zone lamented that the Abuja-based politicians shared the contracts among themselves and collected the money without executing them.

    As part of their resolutions after the emergency meeting, the IYC leaders said they would soon send a list of the jobs, which were abandoned after huge amount of money, was released by NDDC and the politicians behind them to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    They commended the current board of the commission especially the Managing Director of NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere, for his uprightness in contract awards but flayed persons, who shortchanged Bayelsa.

    Speaking after the meeting, the Chairman of IYC, Central Zone, Mr. Tare Porri, said the council was pained that NDDC contracts meant for youths to curb restiveness in the state were also cornered by the politicians.

    He said: “We carried out independent investigations and it was revealed that water hyacinth job that was hitherto given to the youths, were diverted by our leaders and politicians. They shared the jobs among themselves and never gave a single job to the youths in this zone.

    “We are aware that some bigwigs in the National Assembly took some of the jobs. Our waterways in our respected communities are blocked because of water hyacinth. They took these jobs without executing them.

    “It is unfortunate that our leaders shared the jobs without given any one to our youths I the central zone. IYC central zone frowns at that and we are condemning that act in its entirety knowing that the jobs were awarded to ensure the actualisation of the purpose of the jobs”.

    Porri hinted that the NDDC was making preparations to award a new set of water hyacinth jobs, but lamented that the same political contractors had engaged in the process of hijacking the jobs.

    “This time around, we will resist any attempt by leaders who do not mean well for the wellbeing of the youths. We are calling on the MD, NDDC to please follow the laid down procedure in awarding the jobs to persons affected by the hyacinth.

    “The jobs should be given to the youths because when we get the jobs we will ensure that the jobs are done”, he said.

    Porri further pointed out that Bayelsa’s share of contracts in the 2017 budget of NDDC were cornered by politicians, who refused to do the jobs.

    He said: “We don’t know the persons that had taken these contracts, but they are Bayelsans. We don’t know where these jobs are located and we don’t know the value of these contracts.

    “We, therefore, use this medium to call on the MD and the entire board of the NDDC to please furnish the IYC with the details of these contracts. This time around, we will not allow any leader to deceive us again.

    “We frown at the attitude of our leaders who are interested in getting contracts from NDDC but they are not interested in executing the projects. Bayelsa State, central zone, happens to be the state that has highest number of NDDC abandoned projects.

    “Why is it that our leaders are not interested in developing our state even when jobs are being given to them? If these jobs were given to foreigners, we would have been raising alarms but this time the jobs were given to our people but they didn’t do them. We are calling on the MD, NDDC, whom we know as a transparent man to please help us furnish us with the details of these contracts”.

    The IYC boss cried out that the same set of politicians took over other emergency NDDC jobs designed to create economic activities in the state.

    He said the politicians were creating confusion in the state and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue Bayelsa from the greed of a few politicians in the state.

    Describing persons involved in the rackets as Abuja-based politicians, he said the contracts were shared among their cohorts in Abuja without recourse to the plight of youths in the state.

    Porri said: “We want our leaders that had taken these jobs to do the needful by executing these projects that were awarded to them. Failure to do this, Ijaw youths will do everything possible to ensure that those who took these contracts are brought to questions.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has resolved to fight corruption. So. We are calling on Mr. President to also help the Ijaw people in the central zone. Our jobs were given to politicians in Abuja not minding what we are going through.

    “In 2017 is when the governor of Bayelsa is trying to construct a road to Agge from Sagbama after 57 years of independence. That road was earlier awarded by NDDC. The governor had to take over the road project.

    “We are calling on the NDDC to work with the governor of Bayelsa state to come up with priority projects that would benefit the collective interest of Ijaw people. As IYC, our interest is development”.

    The IYC boss advised the NDDC board to henceforth award contracts directly to people in the grassroots through established youth structures like the IYC central zone.

  • Policeman guns down 13years-old in Bayelsa

    Policeman guns down 13years-old in Bayelsa

    There was protest in Bayelsa State, Friday, after a policeman, Corporal David Napoleon, shot and killed a 13-year-old Senior Secondary School Student identified as Joseph Tomizibe.

    Residents of Kpansia where the indigent happened protested the killing, blocked the road and caused traffic gridlock along the busy Yenagoa-Mbiama road.

    The policeman attached to the Department of Operations at the state police command, was said to have been arrested, disarmed and detained for further investigations.

    The Kpansia community was thrown into chaos as youths, women and elders lamented rising illegal arrest by policemen.

    But the intervention of Yenagoa Caretaker Committee Chairman, Oforji Oboku, calmed frayed nerves and stopped the angry residents from attacking a traffic policeman in the area.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr, Asinim Butswat, said the victim was 18 years old adding that he was shot when the policeman was trying to escape from being attacked by irate boys and suspected cultists in the area.

    But the Central Zone leadership of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) faulted the claims of the police.

    The Zonal Chairman of IYC, Mr. Tare Porri, who visited the deceased family, said his interactions with members of the family showed the victim was 13 years old.

    Narrating how the incident happened, he said: After consulting with the police and family of the deceased boy, it is clear that the deceased is 13 years old. He and the killer policeman were neighbours.

    “‎Eyewitnesses said the policeman shot twice from the kitchen to scare some suspected cultists trying to gain entry. When he came out, he saw that the boys were still around. There was an argument and when one of the boys called others on phone, the policeman shot at knee level but the bullet hit the deceased on the thigh.

    “Eyewitnesses and the Investigating officer confirmed to us that the boy was not a cultist. He was just witnessing the argument.

    “I call on the State Commissioner of Police to investigate the incident and come out with a clear report to avoid a reprisal attack against security agents. Repraisal can happen when such cases are not properly investigated. Kpansia is a safe community and must be made to remain so.”

    Reacting to the incident, the PPRO said: “The incident occurred at about 10pm on thursday after six armed cultists invaded the home of Corporal David Napoleon at Kpansia area of the state capital.

    “The suspect and armed cultists tore the window net and gain entrance into the house. The officer, who was home with his family, ran after the hoodlums and arrested one Stephen Ayama, Male, 16 years and a member of the Greenlander cult group .He was handed over to the State Security outfit known as Door Akpo.

    “When he was coming back to his house with a plan to move his family out to a safer place, some suspected cultists and indigenes of the community went after him to attack him.

    “He ran but was chased by the irate youths. He turned and shot ‎at them below the knee level. The bullet hit one Tombozide Joseph, 18 years, on the thigh. He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre.”

  • NCDMB appointment: Ijaw youths commend Buhari

    NCDMB appointment: Ijaw youths commend Buhari

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide and some members of Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing an oil and gas expert, Mr. Simbi Wabote, as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

    Wabote, who hails from Brass Local Government Area, was among the newly appointed heads of agencies announced by the Federal Government on Monday.

    The IYC in a statement signed by its Spokesman on Tuesday, Mr. Eric Omare, described Wabote as a world-class engineer with several years of practice in the oil and gas industry, especially in the Niger Delta region.

    While congratulating Wabote, Omare urged him to use his experience in promoting community content in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

    He said: “The IYC expects Eng. Wabote to address the key question of community content within the context of the local content management which has been a source of concern to oil and gas-bearing communities of the Niger Delta region.

    “Presently local content is been used as a subterfuge by companies owned by Nigerians from other parts of the country to take jobs that ought to be for indigenes of oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta region.

    “This is oppressive and totally unacceptable. The IYC insists on community content within the local content in the oil and gas industry and we charge Eng. Wabote to handle this issue as one of his key assignments as Executive Secretary of the NCDMB.”

    Omare said the concept of local content was designed to address the marginalisation of the people from the region adding that community content should be the primary target of the board.

    He said: “The whole concept of local content was designed to partly address the marginalization of the people of the Niger Delta in the oil and gas industry; hence community content must occupy a pride of place in the affairs of the local content board.

    “We express our willingness to collaborate with Eng. Wabote to actualize his mandate in the local content board.”

    Also, some members of the APC, who had been clamouring for federal appointments, thanked Buhari for remembering the state.

    The APC loyalists in various social media platforms extolled the qualities of Wabote describing the appointment as a round peg in a round hole.

    They further praised the state APC leader and former Governor Timipre Sylva for making the appointment of Wabote possible.

    The joyful APC members appealed to the President to give the state more appointments.
  • Militants deny talks with FG

    Militants deny talks with FG

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim to be in talks with Niger Delta militants, including the notorious Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), has been described as a manifestation of the president’s insincerity, as there had been no established contact yet.

    President Buhari had on Thursday, during a farewell meeting with the outgoing German Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Zinner, said his administration was in talks with the armed insurgents in the Niger Delta, through security agents and oil companies operating in the region.

    But the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), as well as the most vocal of the insurgent groups in the region, NDA, claimed President Buhari’s claim was insincere and aimed at deceiving Nigerians and the international community.

    While the Avengers, in a statement by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo,  denied being in any talks with the federal government, the IYC, in a statement circulated by its spokesman, Eric Omare, expressed at the president’s claim to using foreigners (oil companies) to negotiate on the nation’s behalf.

    The Avengers, in the statement, said it stood by its earlier decision not to be involved in any negotiation with the federal government in any talk that would not involve the international community.

    “Our attention has been drawn to media report that the President is in touch with Niger Delta agitators including the Niger Delta Avengers, but the truth is that we are not aware of any peace talk.

    “If we are to engage in any peace talk we made it clear that the international community must be part of it. The President knows our demands. So they should stop deceiving the international oil companies, the general public and the international community.

    “If there is any such peace talk, it means the President is talking to their mercenaries set to disturb the genuine struggle of the agitators. President Buhari led government is not sincere to the Nigeria people and their foreign allies”, it said.

    IYC, in its statement yesterday, charged the Buhari administration to borrow a leaf from its predecessors and seek an all-encompassing talks with the peoples of the oil-rich region.

    “The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide says that President Buhari and the federal government of Nigeria should stop deceiving Nigerians and the international community about talks with Niger Delta militants on how to stop attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.