Ugborodo Chiefs finger Chief Ayiri in weekend killings, invasion of community

…begs FG to probe massacre with immediate dispatch

The people of Ugborodo community in  Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have called on the Federal Government to hold the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayiri Emami responsible for the alleged killing of three indigenes of the community and burning of houses during Saturday’s invasion of the community by security agents.

In a ‘Save Our Soul’ (SOS) message sent to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, the people cried out over what they described  as a deliberate attempt to muzzle them, over their insistence on sovereignty and resistance to subservience under the Olu of Warri Kingdom.

The community’s petition to the President on Monday, was signed by high powered elders council of the community, led by Pa Douglas Omagbemi (Ugborodo community). Others are; Pa Pasco Oritsegbami (Elder, Ugborodo community) and Hon Thomas Metseagharun (The Toritsemogha of Ugborodo community).

The trio, noted that they were not surprised that security agents  were sent after them, just few hours after they embarked on a peaceful protest, against what they described as “Slave Treatment”, from the Palace of the Olu.

The SOS reads: “We wish to restate our stand that Ugborodo is not a part of the Warri/Itsekiri kingdom and that this should not be misconstrued as fomenting trouble, but rather, putting the record straight and being on the right side of the truth on this issue, which we have consistently maintained our stance.

“We have being and still continue to live peacefully, with our neighbours, the Gbaramatu Kingdom and all we have asked, is to be left alone to continue living in peace.

“On Saturday morning, we came out to protest the slavery of our people by some few people from Warri. Few hours after the successful protest, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayiri Emami backed by the Delta State Government, invaded our peace-loving community, with security agents and killed three innocent indigenes of the community, under several guises of identifying them as criminals.

“They burnt several houses in the community as well,” the people stated.

They added that: “We live in abject poverty in our community. They came and invaded our community and started calling us names, like armed robbers, kidnappers, bunkerers and all sorts of names.

“The large crowd that came out on Saturday morning for the total liberation of our community are not bunkerers, sea pirates, thieves, armed robbers or kidnappers.

“We are therefore crying out for justice over the killing of our innocent indigenes. The Federal Government should hold the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayiri Emani and men of the Nigerian Police responsible for what happened in our community on Saturday.”

“Politics cannot be ruled out of the current crisis in our community” the petition noted, “now that the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayiri Emami is now warming his way back into the heart of the Governor.

“They are doing everything to silence us. We want to appeal to the Federal Government under the administration of President Buhari, to come to our rescue. We are a peace loving community who abides by all the laws of the land. We are not criminals, but traders who are trying to make our living.

“The men of the Nigerian Police turned fire against the people that they are supposed to protect. The Army and Navy were disciplined and were civil during the operation.

“The ugly incident will not have happened if the Police that killed our people behaved like the Army and Navy. Their deaths should be probed and should not be swept under the carpet,” they said.