Stop harassing ex-president’s family, protesting youths tell president
Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu and Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa
Youths of Ijaw descent under the Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide (IYC) yesterday accused President Muhammadu Buhari of frustrating efforts at achieving peace in the Niger Delta.
The leadership of the organisation stated that the region had been “pushed to the wall” by the president who has deliberately refused to set up a negotiating team 90 days after the leaders and elders of the region met with him in Abuja.
Yesterday’s outburst by President of the IYC, Udengs Eradiri, also coincided with a statement by the a popular ex-militant leader, Africanus Ukparasia, who vowed to resist any attempt to wreak fresh havoc on oil and gas facilities in the region.
The former Commander of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) was ostensibly referring to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), a militant group that has vowed to resume its onslaught on critical infrastructure in the creeks of the oil-rich area after it claimed that President Buhari was not interested in the scheduled talks.
Ukparasia, formerly known in the creeks in the region as ‘General Africa’, warned the avengers to stay away from the region especially his home state, Bayelsa.
The former militant who now oversees the state Waterways Security Task Force (BSWSTF), spoke in Yenagoa during a patrol of the creeks of the state.
He said that the security outfit which he heads would not joke with its mandate to secure the creeks of the state and stop the nefarious activities of the avengers and their ilk.
“We advise Bayelsans to report any suspicious movement in their communities as it is the duty of all to be vigilant against the nefarious activities of criminals who cause problems to give the military reason to invade our communities for innocent people to suffer,” he said.
He added that the outfit legally established by the federal government in collaboration with the Bayelsa state Government would work with the security agencies to maintain order in the state.
But the concerned Ijaw youths covering the nine states of the Niger Delta yesterday said President Buhari should be blamed if there’s fresh crisis in the region.
Meanwwhile, protesting Igbo youths yesterday crippled business activities within Enugu metropolis as they asked the federal government to face the myriads of problems in the country and stop further harrasement of the family of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the wife, Patience.
The protesing youths who were in hundreds also demanded a public apology from the Nigerian Police over the raid of the Abuja home of former first lady.
The police authorities had declared that the residence was raided following a tip-off that money was stashed in the place.
However, the youths who stormed Enugu metropolis after submitting a letter at the Enugu State Police Command said Mrs. Jonathan deserved public apology since nothing was found in her home.
A spokesman of the group, Mr. Nwachukwu Kachukwu David, who addressed journalists called on the federal government to face various challenges facing the nation instead of engaging in unnecessary witch-hunt.
He declared: “Power supply has gone from bad to worse; many homes could not buy rice for Christmas; economic policies have crippled businesses but instead of finding solutions, Buhari’s government is chasing after innocent citizens.”
Nwachukwu further stated: “The entire Igbo Youths stand here today to unequivocally condemn the ceaseless harassment of our daughter, former first Lady, Patience Jonathan.
“The latest of this onslaught is the raid on her Abuja house by operatives from the Force Headquarters. This is coming at a time she is still under a vicious attack by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
