Hasty to blame Niger Delta militants for Lagos, Ogun killings, says Clark
Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark
OPC warns perpetrators of violence as Ijaw, Yoruba leaders meet July 1
Citing absence of proper investigation by the security agencies, foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark yesterday said it was premature to conclude that Niger Delta militants were responsible for the recent invasion of Lagos and Ogun states communities last week leaving many dead and injured.
To douse the tension, Yoruba and Ijaw leaders are planning a summit for July 1 in Lagos.
Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, Chief Clark confirmed the planned meeting, saying, “There would be a summit of the Ijaw and Yoruba leaders on Friday at The Eko Hotels and Suites to discuss and douse the tension between the Yoruba and the Ijaw people.
According to the elder statesman, “The leaderships of the two nations have agreed to meet to douse the tension arising from the killings in the Ogun and Lagos communities. In the first place, it is totally wrong for the security agents or anybody to conclude that Ijaw or Niger Delta militants were responsible for the killings without proper investigations. The Federal Government should investigate the matter properly before the security agents would come out to issue statement and or blame anybody.”
Clark debunked insinuations that the two ethnic nationalities might have lost confidence in the Nigerian state: “No we have not lost confidence in the country. On the contrary, what we are simply trying to achieve is to avert problem. There are several crises in the country already. We wouldn’t want any crisis between the Ijaw and Yoruba people.”
National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin on behalf of Chief Reuben Fasoranti said the two ethnic groups have agreed that a joint consultative meeting must hold quickly to nip the crisis in the bud and reaffirm the joint humanity of both nations against wanton destruction of human lives symbolised by the atrocious carnage.
Afenifere’s statement partly reads: “Towards this end, an emergency summit of the two nations will hold in Lagos on Friday, July 1.2016 but in the meantime the leaders appealed to peoples of the two nations to sustain their existing peace.”
Meanwhile, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), in a statement by its spokesperson, Sina Akinpelu yesterday condemned the incessant attacks on its people by the hoodlums, describing the killing and maiming of innocent persons in Yoruba communities as callous.
While restating the Yoruba race’s commitment to peace, Akinpelu called on perpetrators as well as those aspiring to attack Yorubaland or its interests to have a rethink warning that that there would be immediate and far-reaching reprisals if such continues.
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4 Comments
It has been said repeatedly all over Nigeria that the South West is the only place in Nigeria that is not bedeviled by civil strife and a overriding lack of aversion to gore that has come to be associated with Nigeria. I am at odds why President Buhari was recently pictured presenting a plaque to the Inspector General of police for doing such a poor job of policing the country. It calls to question, President Buhari’s judgement of what peace and tranquility, justice and equity should represent in the country. What with “technically winning the war with Boko Haram” and in light of his DEAFNESS to the yearnings of Nigerians and the degrading of their sense of security! Look, a proactive president would do whatever is possible to ensure that the inland waterways are free of banditry with the use of Naval and community services. The DSS rather than harassing innocent citizens should start building an effective secret police apparatus (if we asked Kim in North Korea, he would train us for free!). When all we could think of is bringing s’manja to head them, as if they don’t have competent serving officers!
In three weeks we have had three headline grabbing terrorism events in the South West, does the President need President Obama to call him from the US that these are examples of attempts to rubbish his legacy? If people say, you are ineffectual (The ECONOMIST), must you then go about ruling Nigeria with complete indolence and then expect good results? This is ONE CHANCE, clueless leadership. Our dear President will wait until the South West becomes a theatre of destruction then he would start invoking God’s sake to solve the problems? There are inciting text messages going about over lopsided security appointments in favor of one segment of the country and an Islamisation agenda, made worse by Governor Aregbesola intrasigience or should I say lack of capacity. couples with this new security threat and I am not beginning to feel any concern from government, not even the so called body language from Aso Roack. Our lying Mohammed had not found it fit to conjure something that will calm the country. If truth be told, Buhari’s government is taking Nigeria no where fast. Plain ONE CHANCE presidnecy. I am utterly disappointed.
You’re dead right my brother! Moreover, these recent attacks in the South West States bear the semblance or hallmarks and savage handiworks of the bloody, infamous Fulani herdsmen of Northern Nigeria – president Buhari’s kinsmen and brothers!!! Chief Edwin Clerk and other South-South leaders should open the eyes of our “blind” Yoruba kinsmens to the menace of the shadowy, bloody Fulani herdsmen, who the current Nigerian Army and Police are woefully protecting, instead of arresting!!! Instead of arresting these cannibals and savages from the North, there are looking for scape-goats, by deliberately mentioning militants. Since when did Niger Delta militants have the wherewithals to travel all-the-way, several thousands of kilometers to the heartlands of the South-West region to commit savagery? Moreover ND-militants only confine themselves to sabotaging oil-pipelines in the Niger Delta (i.e. their Modus Operandi”, if you like); they neither kill fellow Nigerians nor kidnap them; at least not yet!!! Please stop these silly Liar Mohammed & FG propaganda!!! A word for a wise is sufficient. Period.
Am sure you reed or heard from d news that most notorious robbery in Lagos were carried out by d Niger deltan, so why defending with no fact when they(ND) was mention as d criminals behind d devils gate. Am sure nw they know they have stepped beyond their boundary. To remind you and ur people, the Yorubas dont go by your foolishness and illiteracy. As much as u believe in what you believed, your generation is and will continue to be behind the Yorubas. It is better you go for more knowledge and history from the Clark to tell you more abt the dark ages between the Yorubas and Ijaw pple. If you speak about your president anyhow with no regard, that ur level of illiteracy and understanding so keep clear from us. I dont blame your region for their actions rather, I blame d politics played behind it.
Wow some very worrisome statements made here – the leadership of the two nations? The people of the two nations? Emergency summit of the two nations? I thought we were trying to be one country of many tribes. Are we now following ancient Greece and declaring city states or tribal nations as the case maybe. I hope that this is just the reporter paraphrasing the remarks. If not, we should be really worried.
We will review and take appropriate action.