PORT Harcourt: The Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta yesterday raised alarm over the invasion of the homes of prominent Ijaw leaders and sons, and the arrest of some without proper explanation by the Nigerian Army.
An Ijaw leader, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, and the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, who screamed on the development, said things were getting out of hand, citing how the Army invaded the home of a former governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, in Rivers State, Sobomoba Jackrich, popularly known as Egberipapa.
Calling for his immediate release, they said soldiers whisked him away after killing two of his aides in the early hours of Monday, when they stormed his Usukon country home in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State,
Chief Sara-Igbe, said: “We have not got any details but the police confirmed that he is with one of the security agencies. We do not know which security agency they referred to.
“We do not want to assume anything. The police stated that a security agency had arrested him. We do not know which security agency. We do not also know what crime he committed. If he committed any crime, hand him over for prosecution or release him.”
Sara-Igbe, a former spokesperson of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, warned: “If anything happens to Egberipapa, we will hold the police accountable.”
Similarly, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, vowing that Ijaw would not play second fiddle in the country, said: “We have sacrificed a lot towards the growth and development of this country and need not be treated as a conquered people.
”In the last few months, Ijaw lands and her prominent leaders have been invaded, harassed, arrested and embarrassed for whatever strange reasons by the military that the Ijaw people are yet to know.”
Spokesperson of IYC, Binebai Yerin Princewill, said the group received distress calls on how military men in vans and armored personnel carriers stormed the Osokun residence of Amb. Sobomabo Jackrich in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, wherein they killed two people, Jackrich was arrested and taken to an unknown destination.
“Nigeria is not a banana republic, Nigeria is a country governed by laws; whatever we do must be within the ambit of the law, and those meant to protect the law must not be seen breaking the law.
“Too many Ijaw leaders and critical stakeholders have been killed, harassed, and humiliated in the past few weeks that we are yet to know the reasons behind such attacks and invasions.
Also, Chief Tike Weris, former Chairman of Waterways Security, was brazenly arrested by a military person at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, and till now, there is no single piece of information about his whereabouts and safety. Rumors have it that they have killed him in custody. This is not acceptable.
“While the Ijaw Youth Council will continue to champion peace movements in Nigeria and Niger Delta. we will not forget to draw our attention to certain events similar to the Okuama attack on the military in the north and the perceived response from the military.
While we are not against fighting crime in Nigeria, we want this to be done within the ambit of the law.”
Jonathan Lokpobiri, President of IYC, wondered why the military had taken a penchant for invading and arresting Ijaw people at the slightest provocation and refused to replicate the same treatment in other parts of the country where people killed military men in droves.
According to the IYC, the news is everywhere about “36 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush by bandits. Nasarawa, 18/08/2023 (Punch); Bandits kill 10 soldiers in NDA attack in Kaduna -5/04/2022 (Al Jazeera); 17 soldiers feared dead as bandits attacked Zamfara community: 25/07/23 (Channels)”.
“At least 30 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush after mine attack in Shiroro Niger state – 3/07/2022 (Reuters); and at least 50 Nigerian soldiers killed in a deadly ambush by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in Yobe State – 24/03/2020 (Premium Times).”
Recalling that a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army and five soldiers lost their lives in an ambush by the Boko Haram terrorists along Biu-Buni Yadi Road, Borno State, April 6, 2024, according to the Daily Trust, IYC said, “The Nigerian military cannot only be powerful in the South, and Niger Delta but not seen displaying such might in the north that far bigger crime is committed by insurgents and other criminal elements.”
The group, therefore, demanded to know the whereabouts of Amb. Sobomabo Jackrich, who is a former Rivers State governorship candidate of National Rescue Movement, NRM, in the last Governorship election in Rivers State and a critical stakeholder and leader in Ijaw nation.
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Council has also watched the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government of on how the military recently went to negotiate with bandits for the release of the 137 . Kaduna students and in the process also had a handshake with the bandits, instead of enforcement of their rights. Only God knows what would have happened if it were to be in the Niger Delta.
With the way things are going, the Ijaw people will not be surprised to wake up one day to see that the military has invaded former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s house. This attack by the Nigerian state on Ijaw leaders is becoming worrisome.
We demand to know the whereabouts and offence of Sobomabo Jackrich. What is the offence of the Ijaw people in the Nigerian state,” the group queried.
Contacted, spokesperson of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt Col. Danjuma Jonah, said he was unaware of what happened to Egberipapa.
“I am not aware. Seriously, I am not aware,” he said.
