The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on Monday urged the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, to urgently stop the incessant killings, unlawful eviction and continuous displacement of Ijaw communities in Eastern Obolo local government area of the state.
IYC factional President, Mr. Eric Omare, described the alleged attacks on the Ijaw people of Amazaba as “an attack on all Ijaw people of Nigeria from Apoi in Ondo State to Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State.”
Omare, in a statement made available to newsmen, said the IYC would not sit back and allow Ijaw people and communities go into extinction, adding “Governor Emmanuel must act fast before the situation degenerate into a full blown Ijaw and Ibibio inter-ethnic crisis.”
He said at least eight Ijaw communities under the Amazaba federated Communities namely – Ama-Uka, Amangbauji, Ozugbo, Okorobilom, Bethlehen, Ayama, Ama-Nglass and Okoromobolo – have been displaced by communal and inter-ethnic disputes with the Ikot Akpan Udo people who are of Ibibio origin in Ikot Abasi local government area of Akwa Ibom.
“The Ikot Akpan Udo people, who are of the majority Ibibio tribe, murdered several Ijaw people including a traditional ruler/village head of Ama-Uka village, Chief (Uboon) Sunday Oron Eli, in 2008,” Omare said.
While saying that several Ijaw people now live as exiles, the IYC president appealed to the state government to exercise its mandate by protecting all its citizens whether minority or majority from violent attacks.
Support Quality Journalism in the Niger Delta Region
Join us in our mission to bring development journalism, cultural preservation, and environmental awareness to the forefront. Your contribution makes a difference in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta. Donate today and be a part of the change!
Leave feedback about this
You must be logged in to post a comment.