The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Southern Ijaw Local Government Area

  • Group alleges plot to alter PDP’s results in Bayelsa

    The Southern-Ijaw Democrats for Good Governance (SDGG) has alleged a plot by the leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to tamper with the results of the rerun election in wards 16 and 17 of Southern Ijaw local government area.

    The leader of the group, James Igba, said the APC were working in connivance with alleged compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for outright cancellation of results in ward 17.

    “What they want to do is to cancel ward 17, thereby creating confusion and muddle up the Southern-Ijaw electoral process and pave the way for allocation of fictitious votes to their preferred candidate.

    “Already there are speculations of a secret meeting held at Ughelli days before the election with intention of rigging the PDP.

    “But the truth is that we already have the figures of votes delivered at the polling units.

    Read also: Supplementary polls: Attacks on media, observers, INEC mar polls – CDD

    “We also have figure of voters with PVCs in the areas, we also have evidence of the election that took place in Koluama which was conducted under heavy security presence.

    “Therefore any attempt to pad the results, or cancel any area, to favor the APC will be firmly resisted.

    “We therefore urge INEC, especially the state REC to be fair and professional in the discharge of his duties

    “We were also shocked to see military personnel who were not on official duty at the voting areas, even when INEC had already high presence of assigned security personnel on ground”.

  • Ijaw religious body calls for tight security in Bayelsa

    Ijaw religious body, Order of Egbesu Brotherhood (OEB), has called on the Federal Government to heighten security around the Bayelsa State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the supplementary elections.

    OEB, in a statement by its Coordinator Bodmas Kemepadei, further said tight security should be beefed around Registration Area Centre (RAC) in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state where part of the election was scheduled to hold on March 23.

    Kemepadei said the body was worried about its findings of strange faces lurking around the INEC office at night warning that security of the area could be compromised by external forces.

    He said: “We also suspect that there may be plots to burn down the INEC office to stall the conduct of the rerun election of 23rd March, 2019.

    “If we may recall, we all witnessed how on the 10th of March, 2019, a candidate entered the INEC office with unauthorized military personnel in  the company of non-Bayelsans, and harassed a ward agent. If not for the timely intervention of some observers, it would have been chaotic.

    “We therefore call on all relevant stakeholders to up the ante by tightening up the security to ensure that the office is protected for the peaceful conduct of the re-run election.

    “Any candidate with unauthorised military escorts must not be allowed to gain entrance from now until election results are announced.

    “The activities of military personnel in Ukubie, Lobia, Azuzuama and Koluama, especially in the RAC centres of these wards should be checked.

    “The authenticity of military personnel, military gunboats, election observers, journalists who may want to visit these areas on or before election day uninvited, must be thoroughly investigated”.

    Kemepadei called on the state government to invoke the Community Safety Corps law to help the police ensure thorough community policing in the affected  communities.

    “We further call on INEC officials to be careful and neutral in their dealings with candidates of political parties as there are already rumours of SPOs and collation officers wining and dining with a candidate who is brandishing already prepared result.

    “For a free and fair election devoid of any conflict amongst our people, we hope that this information if adhered to will avert a state disaster and forestall any possible danger. We pray for peace and wish all Bayelsans well”.

     

     

  • Commission probes killings in Bayelsa varsity community

    The six-member Commission of Inquiry set up by the Bayelsa State government to look into the civil disturbances that claimed some lives in Amassoma, host community of the Niger Delta University (NDU), has commenced sitting.
    It was gathered that the commission at the weekend continued hearing on the crisis at at the Multi-Door Court House, High Court Complex, Ovom, Yenagoa, the state capital.
    The Bayelsa State Goveror Seriake Dickson inaugurated the commission following  the crisis that engulfed Amassoma, host community of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU).
    The commission was mandated to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the civil disturbances that occurred in and around Amassoma.
    During the riot, about five persons were reportedly killed and many persons injured  in the violent clash which occurred between security operatives and indigenes of the university town in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
    The governor gave the commission a nine-point terms of reference including the identification of the perpetrators of the unlawful acts and their sponsors and to determine the extent of damage to property, both public as well as private, if any during the incident.
    He also urged the commission to recommend measures aimed at averting future occurrences of such incidents within and around the NDU and its host communities, as well as make any other recommendations that might be deemed fit in the circumstances.
    The Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry, Mr. Michael Zuokumor, Deputy Inspector General of Police (retd.), said relevant stakeholders turned up for the hearing on Monday.
    He said some persons submitted their memoranda including the Vice-Chancellor, NDU, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo.
    Zuokumor added that the commission was not going to work on memoranda alone but would take oral evidences to ascertain the truth of what transpired during the incident.
    He said: “There were some disturbances in Amassoma community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The road to the Niger Delta University was blocked; there was so much violence and the university was seriously looted.

    Read also: Obasanjo’s medical tourism in Bayelsa

    “From what learnt, lives were even lost. The essence of this commission is a fact-finding one to look into the issues that happened. The commission is not to indict anybody but to ascertain what happened so that we can do whatever we can prevent such from happening again in the state.
    “We have received memoranda from the university and from other persons; we do not work on memoranda alone. This is fact-finding; we also take oral evidences. The strict rules of criminal trial does not take place here since it is fact-finding. But in order for people not to mislead us, they are meant to swear to an oath.”

  • Suspected cultists burn police division in Bayelsa

    Suspected cult members desperate to free a detained member of their gang on Tuesday set ablaze the Oporoma Police Division in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

    Our reporter gathered that the cult member who was on Police wanted list for various crimes including kidnapping, sea robbery, armed robbery and acts of pipeline vandalism was being temporarily detained at the Oproma Division when his gang members struck to free him.

    Community sources in Southern Ijaw said that the timely reinforcement by security agencies deployed to protect oil facilities in the area saved the situation.

    The Spokesman of the Police Command in Bayelsa, DSP Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said that a policeman on guard duty shot at the detained suspect to prevent his escape from lawful custody.

    “The suspect was arrested and detained at the Oporoma Police Division, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, preparatory to being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yenagoa.

    “The suspect on March 21, 2018 attempted to escape from lawful custody and was shot by the police officer on duty.

    “Other members of the suspected cult group mobilised and attacked officers on duty at the police division and set it ablaze.

    “Additional policemen were deployed to restore normalcy in the community.

    “There seems to be emergence of cases of cult activities in Bayelsa; we call on members of the public to volunteer useful information and  to assist the police to tame the trend of cult activities amongst the youths in Bayelsa,” Butswat said.

    Reports have it that on Nov. 7, 2017 some 10 suspected armed robbers and cult members that were detained by the Special Anti Robbery Squad cell (SARS) in Yenagoa broke free from detention and escaped.

    NAN.

    Read Also: Police arrest most wanted ‘criminal’

     

  • Tension as military raids Bayelsa community for arms, criminals 

    Tension as military raids Bayelsa community for arms, criminals 

    There was tension in Peremabiri community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, following a raid conducted by the military to mop up arms and flush out suspected criminals in the area.

    It was gathered that the military acted on intelligence that pirates and militants were hiding in the community and using some houses to stockpile arms and ammunition.

    Some women from the community were said to have earlier staged a protest to stop what they perceived as an invasion but later withdrew and allowed the soldiers to carry out their operation

    An elderly resident said a team of soldiers stormed his house saying they were  looking for guns.

    “They surrendered me and asked me to show them where guns were hidden in my house. I told them I had no guns. But they ransacked my house and later left for other places”, the source, who spoke in confidence said.

    It was not, however, clear the number of arms and ammunition recovered from the exercise as well as the number of the people arrested by the soldiers.

    But the people of Peremabiri said the effort by the military to flush out criminals and clear arms from their community was a welcome development.

    They commended the Federal Government for coming to free them from the hands of a suspected notorious criminal gang terrorizing their community.

    They said the action of the military had enabled them to breathe the air of freedom again claiming that the gang held them captive for so long.

    The indigenes under the aegis of Peremabiri Development Association (PDA), in a communique issued after their emergency meeting in Yenagoa, said the gang was led by an ex-militant.

    They complained that the ex-militant was trying to impose an unpopular leadership on them.

    The indigenes in the communique reportedly signed by the Chairman of PDA, ‎Chief Awolowo Wasiri; Secretary, Chief Profit Enoch and Publicity Secretary, Alfred Ikiomoye Olotu thanked the government for earlier arresting some of the suspects ‎and arraigning them before a competent court.

    They called on the security agencies to apprehend the criminal elements fleeing the community to permanently resolve the constant unrest in the area.

    They explained that the women, who staged a protest because of the intervention by the military acted out of fear.

    The statement reportedly said: “We are in support of the routine operation which took place in our community. Our joy is full because we have been living in bondage for so long. This has affected our lives as we live in fear everyday..

    “The intervention has brought some relaxation in our community as we now move freely. We are excited because if not for the action of the military, they would have imposed an unpopular man as our paramount ruler.

    “We have confidence in the federal government and so we appeal to them to go after the rest members of the gang to ensure that they never return to our community. Those women who protested did so because they were forced and not out of any loyalty”.

     

  • Ijaw youths, rector seek road to Bayelsa Fed Poly

    Ijaw youths are worried about lack of access to the only Federal Polytechnic in Bayelsa State located at Ekowe, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. Since its establishment, the institution has continued to experience lull in academic activities.

    It was once enmeshed in a prolonged crisis between the employees and the management. But since the appointment of Dr. Seighabo Enitimi, as the new Rector of the institution, peace and stability returned to the campus.

    The rector has made significant progress to restore confidence in admission seekers. But the polytechnic has continued to lag behind because of lack of accessibility. Water remains the only means of transportation to the polytechnic.

    With the upsurge in piracy, militancy, incidences of boat accidents and other criminal activities along the waterways, admission seekers avoid the polytechnic like a plague.

    In fact, Ijaw youths are not happy that road has not got to the institution. Recently, the newly elected Central Zone leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, visited the school.

    The Chairman of the Zonal IYC, Mr. Tare Porri, after touring the facilities said the institution was the best polytechnic in the country. He commended the vision and mission of the new rector. But he said the institution was underperforming because there was no road to the area.

    Addressing the rector, Porri said: “We decided to pay you this visit to see how we can partner in areas you are lacking. We have seen all the Federal polytechnic across the country and I am bold to say this polytechnic is the best in terms of infrastructure.

    “So we felt the need for the IYC under our leadership to partner with the management of the institute to compel the Federal government to complete the road linking the institution to other parts of the world.

    “We are aware that the student enrollment of the institution is low and has continued to drop because of the fear of militancy, sea piracy and boat mishap, so we think, if the road from Yenagoa to Oporoma is completed, this institution would be one of the best in the country.

    “We are hereby using this opportunity to call on all our lawmakers in the National Assembly to ensure that this road gets into the budget if the federal government and we as IYC would follow it up until it is completed”.

    In his response, the rector enumerated the challenges he met on ground when he took over the leadership of the school. He said top on the issues was the conflict between the management and the workers.

    “However, we came with a vision and the vision is to ensure that we increase our students enrollment and I also made it clear that the attitude of staff of the institution must change.

    “In spite of all these, we also know that our location is a major problem because we are not linked to other parts of the world by road.

    “If the central senatorial road is completed, this polytechnic would be the most talked about in this country because it is the first oil and gas institution in Africa.

    “However, before we came on board, this institution was blacklisted by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for five year because of poor management of funds.

    “And when we came on board, we have been able to remove the institution from the black book and very soon we would start to receive backlog of our benefits from TETFUND. What this means is that from September this year, we would be able to commence our HND programme”.

  • Navy takes free medical mission to late Alamieyeseigha’s community

    Navy takes free medical mission to late Alamieyeseigha’s community

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) of the Nigerian Navy, at the weekend, embarked on free medical mission to Amassoma, the community of late former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    The people of the community led by their Traditional Ruler, His Royal Highness, Amananaowei of Amassoma, Maj. Graham Naigba (retd) participated in the medical mission and were freely treated of various ailments.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), CNC, Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, who led senior officers of the command to Amassoma, said the medical mission was borne out of the desire to tackle the health needs of the people.

    He said the navy since September 2016 has been going to various communities in its Area of Operation (AoR) to offer free medical treatments to the people.

    Garba said such medical missions, as part of civil-military relations, had enabled the navy to move closer to the people and win their confidence.

    He also added that the mission would form part of his handover not to the new FOC, who was expected to take over from him soon.

    He said the communities visited by the navy appreciated the gesture, which had helped to drastically reduce attacks on oil pipelines.

    According to him the people had shown their appreciation by giving timely information of miscreants’ and vandals’ activities to the navy.

    “Such information has given us the intelligence to be more proactive in handling issues of economic sabotage. Out of their appreciation of what we do for them, they come to is and give us information”, he said.

    On his part, the traditional ruler, Naingba, thanked the navy for their gesture describing it as commendable.

    He appealed to them to do more for his community to enable his people overcome the scourge of diseases.

    He said the community had never witnessed such well-organised and big free medical intervention and assured the navy of his community’s cooperation.

     

  • Pastor, three others die in Bayelsa crash

    A pastor identified as Adama and three other persons have been feared dead in a motors accident that occurred along the Ammassoma-Yenagoa road in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    It was gathered that many others sustained various degrees of injuries in the crash that happened at about 3pm on Sunday.

    Among the injured casualties was a 300-level student of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Miss Debora Willimor.

    Willimor had a broken leg and was rushed to the Gloryland Medical Centre but was later relocated to a traditional bone healer by her family.

    Eyewitnesses said that the accident involved a 14-seater bus and a private car adding that over-speeding and reckless overtaking caused the crash.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Butwat Asinim, who confirmed the incident gave the registration number of the bus and the car as Yen 279 KA AU 162 USL.

    He said the vehicles were involved in head-on collision.

    Bayelsa Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) could not give details of the accident as most of its personnel said they were yet to visit the accident scene.

    But Butswat said one person was confirmed dead on the spot.

    One of the survivors of the accident, identified as Miss Tare, a clerical officer at the Federal University, Otuoke said they were returning to Yenagoa from Amasoma when the incident happened.

    She thanked God for surviving the accident.

  • Gunmen abduct 72yr-old retired principal in Bayelsa

    Gunmen abduct 72yr-old retired principal in Bayelsa

    Unknown gunmen, Monday, kidnapped a 72-year-old retired principal, Chief Sunday Festus, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    It was gathered that Festus was abducted at his residence in Bomo clan of the council on Monday morning.

    The son of the victim, Leigha, said his father was diabetic and critically ill when the hoodlums stormed the residence and whisked him away to an unknown place.

    He said the hoodlums numbering four struck at about 3:10am through the Foinbiri waterside and went straight to his father’s residence.

    They were said to have shattered window protectors, forced their way into the septuagenarian’s bedroom and took him to a waiting double-75horsepower speedboat.

    He said: “We heard a big bang at the door and heard voices who commanded our father to follow them. Our brother who is 13 years old made an attempt to stop them but was seriously beaten and left with bruises. They even hit on his head with the butt of the gun.

    “The heartless kidnappers dragged my father, a diabetic patient on the ground to the waterside, after shooting sporadically into the air to scare and scuttle any resistance from the community.

    “They headed towards Opuama community and at Oyeregbene they attempted to steal an engine boat, and later engaged an oil and gas surveillance patrol gun boat while escaping with their victim in a bid to pave their way from the security patrol on the waterway.

    “They got to Oyeregbene and Sangana waterways in Brass Local Government area and meandered into a small creek and disappear into thin air, as nobody could ascertain their next location”.

    He said the kidnapping could be an attempt to extort money from his elder brother, Mr. Daumiebi Festus, a real estate mogul and stalwart of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    He said the whereabouts and condition of his father were known as the abductors had yet to establish contact with their family.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the matter had not been officially reported to him.

  • Bayelsa: Tension as fishing trawler crushes three persons to death

    Bayelsa: Tension as fishing trawler crushes three persons to death

    Tension arose, Thursday, in the coastal communities of Brass and Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State following an alleged crushing to death of three persons by fishing trawlers in the areas.

    The aggrieved communities of Odioama, Twon-Brass, Sangana, Koluama, Foropah, Ekeni, Ezetu communities accused the fishing trawlers of operating dangerously and violating exisiting laws.

    The communities in a report released in Yenagoa by the Environmental Right Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria ( ERA/FoEN), accused owners of the trawlers of killing, theft of fishing nets and sponsored attacks.

    A community leader from  Foropa community,  Chief Uyadongha Ziprebo, said: “Just few days ago somebody died as a result of trawlers coming close to the shoreline in our environment.

    “Two persons from Ilaja in Ondo State, who have resided here for years going about their fishing activities, went out to fish that night.

    “And due to the way a trawler was fast approaching their fishing boat, they jumped into the water and; one of them was found dead later by a search team from the community.

    “The deceased could just be identified as Funsho for now. I don’t know his other name. Trawler operators have become really lawless and making things uncomfortable for us; since we are all first and foremost, fisher folks”.

    Also, an indigene of Ekeni community, John Degbe added:  “For sure, the activities of trawler operators in our environment in recent times have become a major source of worry to our people.

    “You know we are a fishing people and, once our main occupation is threatened; our life is also threatened. There is a very recent case at Foropah, our neighbouring community; where somebody, an Ilaja man died due to trawler incursion to the coastline.

    “They damage our fishing nets, hooks and floaters on the Sea; on the shallow waters. We are not really happy about this and, unless the authorities intervenes; it might lead to a very disastrous levels. Government should prevail on the trawler owners/operators to go back to where they use to operate lawfully and leave us to also live our lives’’.

    The state Coordinator of ERA/FoEN, Mr. Morris Alagoa‎, said the incursion was a threat to the livelihood and lives of residents at the coastlines.

    He said: “‎The situation calls for urgent intervention of the relevant agencies of the Federal and state government. The law of the Sea has stipulated five nautical miles away from the coastline or shoreline for trawlers to operate.

    “Besides, captains of trawlers have been assigned the responsibility of not going close to any fishing gears on the waters; giving a space of over a mile to any such fishing gears in the sea.

    “The law also stipulates that captains/operators should promptly report any damage caused to the property of other users of the sea. This gross violation of the law needs to be addressed as it should.

    “A brief research indicates that there is an existing law referred to as the Fisheries Act of 1992 or Decree No 108 of 1992 wherein trawling is put at a limit of 5 [five] Nautical miles off the coast or continental shelf.

    “But, these trawler operators are getting so close as 2 [two] nautical miles to the coast and denying fisher folks from going about their legitimate means of livelihood.

    “Before the further harm is done or the situation actually degenerates to violent resistance by the locals; something needs to be done to halt the incursion into areas not allowed for trawling.

    “The Brass and Southern Ijaw local government authorities should, as a matter of urgency investigate, properly document the phenomenon and reach other to the State and Federal Government for immediate action to forestall further breakdown of law and order in the coastline.

    “The relevant agencies of the State and Federal Government should take appropriate steps to halt the incursion of trawlers into areas not allowed by law. Apart from the ministries of agriculture, the state and national assemblies should rise and defend the laws of the land”.