The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC)
Worldwide has condemned the invasion of Oluasiri Community of Nembe Local Government Area in Bayelsa State leading to the mindless killing of at least four people, many injuries and the destruction of many property.
The National Spokesman of the IYC Daniel Dasimaka expressed the disappointment of the IYC over what he describes as a satanic and sadistic assault on Ijaw people in recent times.
The IYC has been informed of the mindless and ghastly attack on Oluasiri, an important Ijaw town in Nembe LGA of Bayelsa State on the 7th of June, 2018 by the men of the Joint Task Force code named Operation Delta Safe,
leading to the untimely death of four persons including a nursing mother and her child. We totally condemn this wicked attack on our people under the guise of fighting Oil bunkering. No amount of Oil in our land is worth the life of any Ijaw person."
“For the avoidance of doubt we want the world to know that the IYC is totally against the current wave of unwarranted systematic assault on Ijaw people of recent. Earlier this year, Toro-Ndoro community in Bayelsa State was invaded by the military. Also, it would be recalled that last year alone not less than seven Ijaw communities were invaded by the military. Soldiers invaded and burnt down Ajakpa community, an Ijaw community in Arogbo clan in Ese-Odo local government area of Ondo state. Just as Ajakurama, another Ijaw Community in Edo state, just to name a few were attacked”
The IYC image-maker condemned the attack and killing of the townspeople in Oluasiri which according to him is a” vicious, cruel and savage act” that has unleashed untold sorrow, tears and pain on many innocent inhabitants of the community and rendering the survivors homeless without food, water and basic things of life.
“It is quite paradoxical that an outfit that is called Operation Delta Safe is turning out to be the killers in the Delta. If the military has evidence of criminality in any town, be it, illegal refining, Bunkering, or what have you, there are more civilized rules of engagement in tackling such by a Professional military rather than invading it and killing defenseless citizens that they are supposed to defend. What happened to seizing homes and forfeitures that applies everywhere also? Why should peaceful Ijaw communities continue to suffer military invasion even under this supposedly democratic dispensation? We are therefore calling on the military authorities and indeed the President Buhari Led Federal Government as well as the National Assembly to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the invasion of Oluasiri.
We are also once more urging the military to carry out its operations within Ijaw territories with utmost professionalism in order not to incur needless damage in the form of the molestation, harassment and attacks of innocent law abiding citizens of the community and area.” The statement reads.
The IYC also called on the Bayelsa State government to pursue the defense of its citizens and ensure that it gets to the bottom of why Oluasiri was attacked.
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