Niger Delta

Diri Warns Youths Against Unlawful Removal Of Rulers … Cautions Against Violent Protests

Published

7 months ago

July 31, 2024

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has read the riot act to youths of Ogboinbiri Community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and other communities in the state to desist from unlawful removal of paramount rulers.

He also advised youths to conduct themselves peacefully during protests in order not to cause chaos or destruction to government and private properties.

Governor Diri gave the warning recently at a meeting with Ogboinbiri Community, which had been embroiled in crisis, in Government House, Yenagoa.

The Governor noted that there were laws guiding chieftaincy issues in the state and that any chief or traditional ruler recognised by the government cannot be removed without following the due process, noting that the youths of Ogboinbiri Community infringed on the state’s chieftaincy law by attempting to forcefully remove their paramount ruler.

While condemning the action of the youths and the Community Development Committee (CDC), the Governor, said the youth President and CDC Chairman as well as the Paramount Ruler would remain in their positions, but directed that the Youth President and CDC Chairman write a letter of apology to the State Government with a promise to work with the Paramount Ruler.

Diri further warned that the full weight of the law would descend on anyone who forcefully removes a government-recognised paramount ruler, explaining that the interest of his administration was to maintain peace in the state in order to engender development.

“Henceforth, we will not take it lightly with community youths that contravene our laws. They will face the wrath of the law in court. Enough of the brigandage in our communities.

“Across the length and breadth of Bayelsa State, any youth who takes the law into his hands on the issue of removal of chiefs would be prosecuted.

“The moment a chief is recognised by the state, whether he is Third Class, Second Class, or First Class, you cannot remove him again.

“Our law states that he is the Chief of that community for life. Unless he has contravened the law, involved in financial mismanagement, absent from his domain and he cannot discharge the duties and functions of a traditional ruler. Even at that, you are not the one to remove him.

“The Paramount Ruler still remains the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri, and he should work with the Youth President and CDC Chairman to bring peace to the community”, the Governor said.

While calling on the youths to unite and work for the development of their communities, Diri enjoined paramount rulers to be exemplary in their conduct and maintain peace in their domain.

He also called on youths to avoid being used by disgruntled politicians to cause trouble in the name of protest.

The Governor, who acknowledged the hardship being faced by citizens in the country, and state governments, commended Bayelsa youths on their peaceful conduct during the EndSARS protest, saying that the state was one of the most peaceful at the time.

The Bayelsa helmsman also called on security agencies, local government chairmen and traditional rulers to be vigilant with a view to curbing actions that would lead to breakdown of law and order during the proposed national protest.

“I like to call on you again to remember the EndSARS protest and be disciplined and keep our state safe.

“We are getting reports about some politicians that lost elections and want to use the protest to cause havoc. We will not accept that in Bayelsa State.

“Every local government chairman and every king in their domains have to be vigilant. We are a state that needs development and we should not allow anybody to thwart the developmental efforts of our state”, the Bayelsa Governor added.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Edo Lawmaker Faults Police, ESSC, Over Kidnapped Traditional Ruler

Published

53 seconds ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

The Member, representing Igueben in Edo State House of Assembly, Eugene Inegbebohon, has faulted claims by the Police and the State Security Corps, ESSC, that they rescued Chief Friday Ehizojie, the traditional ruler of Udo-Eguare Kingdom in Igueben Local Government.

It would be recalled that the traditional ruler was kidnapped by gunmen on February 3 along with five others on a lonely path leading to the community .

The traditional ruler regained freedom last Friday, February 7.

The Edo State Police Command had disclosed that the traditional ruler was rescued unhurt by operatives of the command.

However, barely two days after the police statement, the Commander of the Edo State Security Corps, ESSC, Mr. Friday Ibadin, also claimed that the traditional ruler was rescued by the operatives of the corps.

Inegbebohon, during plenary on Monday, debunked the claims of the police and Edo security outfit, saying that the community paid ransom for the release of their king.

“Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to know that during the trying period, I personally informed the security agencies of the kidnapping of the traditional ruler.

“The information was for them to see what they could do but at the end of the day, they did nothing.

“None of them knew how the traditional ruler came back home, but only for them to come out now and start claiming the glory and taking pictures with him after his release”, he said.

According to him, some people even went to the social media to claim that they are the ones that rescued him.

“How do you rescue a person from kidnappers’ den without the culprits being apprehended?

“Did they just walk in there to bring the traditional ruler home? If they know the kidnappers they should show us.

“Mr. Speaker, I make bold to say that even though they would not want to agree, it took the grace of God for my people to raise the ransom that brought back our king home.

“So, Mr. Speaker, nobody should claim that glory that they rescued him. It is wrong”, he added.

He commended his colleagues for their sympathy during the trying period.

He also thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for the swift response and logistics support for security agencies during the period.

Niger Delta

Police Arrest Boy, 13 For Using Gun To Threaten Colleagues

Published

4 days ago

February 10, 2025

The Tide

The Police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested a 13year old boy identified as Samuel Sunday for using his father’s gun to threaten his classmates at St. Paul Primary School, Ikot Ibiok, Eket Local Government Area of the state.
The Police at Akpan Abia Police Station also arrested the father who owns the gun and kept it in his wardrobe from where the son carried it to school.
Parading the suspect at the Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo, last Thursday, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, said the biy took the gun from his father’s wardrobe since November 24, 2024 but was arrested on January 30, 2025.
The PPRO said the Police, acting on intelligence, arrested the suspect and his father while the gun was recovered for further investigation.
“On 30/01/2025 at about 0800 hrs, based on credible information at the Command’s disposal, that on 28/01/2025 one Samuel Sunday ‘m’ of Ikot Ibiok Village in Eket LGA, a 13 year old pupil of St. Paul Primary School, Ikot Ibiok, in Eket LGA was going armed in the school and threatening to fire at his fellow pupils.
“The operatives of the Command immediately swung into action and arrested the suspect and recovered a locally made pistol.
“On interrogation, the suspect confessed that he has been with the said gun since November 2024, that he got the gun from a wardrobe in his father’s bedroom. The father was later arrested. Investigation is still ongoing”, the PPRO stated.
The Police also paraded one Roseline Maurice ‘f’ and Eno Udoka ‘f’ for conspiring and stealing a child at Obong Itam village in Itu LGA in June, 2024, and sold the victim for the sum of N200,000.00 to their regular customer in Cross River State.
Suspects were said to have used the money to purchase a refrigerator, television, fan, etc., saying all the items have been recovered from them.
John also paraded a child trafficking syndicates that lures young girls into having affairs with men who eventually get them pregnant and the babies sold.
“In another development, on 01/02/2025 at about 0800hr based on a complaint from two young girls, 18 yrs of age, that one woman attempted to traffick them to Cross River State for them to have affair with men and get pregnant in order to sell the babies and share the money.
“Operatives of the Command swung into action and arrested One Gift Essien Tommy ‘f’ and Peace Ekanem ‘f’”, he stated.

By: Christopher Tom, Uyo.

Niger Delta

Diri Unhappy Over Poor State Of Public Schools

Published

4 days ago

February 10, 2025

The Tide

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed displeasure at the state of facilities in some public schools in the state.
Speaking in Kaiama at the end of an unscheduled visit to Saint Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata-Yenagoa, and the Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama, in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Diri said the government’s budgetary provisions and expenditure in the education sector do not match the reality on ground.
He directed the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, to immediately take steps to address the issues on dilapidated structures in schools across the state.
At the Ijaw National Academy, the Governor noted the absence of sporting facilities and the uncompleted dining hall and directed the Commissioner to ensure that the contractor returned to site.
He also frowned at the state of the hostels in the school, restating the commitment of his administration to the development of the education sector given its importance to nation building.
The Bayelsa helmsman said he will undertake more unscheduled visits to schools and other government departments to see things for himself and called on relevant officials to take more seriously maintenance of public facilities.
He said with the progress made by the state in external examinations such as the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), it was necessary to put the right facilities in place to enable students perform better.
“I have been to Saint Jude’s and I am here at the Ijaw National Academy. I am not satisfied with what I have seen.
“If schools that are in the urban, motorable areas are in this state, how would those in the rural, riverine communities be like?
“In this second tenure, I will pay unscheduled visits to our schools, hospitals and other important government agencies.
“Students are very important. I am not happy with the state of dilapidation I saw at St Jude’s. We must strengthen supervision.
“I have directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure that your school is rehabilitated. I have also directed that between now and Friday, the completed basketball court be handed over to the school authorities in Saint Jude’s.
“This is a school that has been doing well and has made our state proud many times in basketball”, Diri said.
Highpoint of the visit was the governor, who was a teacher, returning to the classroom at the INA to teach senior secondary students preparing for Government as a subject in the upcoming WASC examination.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa