IYC Condemns Alleged Soldiers’ Invasion Of Bayelsa Community

Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide has condemned what it called alleged invasion of Ben-Ama and Tengele-Ama Communities in Oluasiri Clan, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State by soldiers.

The group disclosed that Soldiers at the early hours of Thursday June 7, 2018 pounced on the community under the disguise of searching for criminals.

“The information available to the IYC is to the effect that among others; a woman and her daughter were killed in the process of the invasion and several others injured.

“The soldiers were alleged to be after suspected criminals in the communities.

“The IYC in very strong terms condemn this dastardly act by the military in the guise of looking for suspected criminals.

The IYC calls on the military authorities to comply with the rules of engagement in their operations in the Niger Delta.

“It is only in the Niger Delta that soldiers routinely kill innocent people in the name of looking for criminals.

“This is condemnable and unacceptable. It is illegal and unconstitutional for the life of anybody to be taken without the due process of law. This is one killing too many in Ijaw land and must stop”, IYC President, Barrister Eric Omare said in a statement on Friday.

He called on President Buhari who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of the federal Republic of Nigeria and the Minister of Defence to take all necessary actions to immediately bring to the justice the military officers involved in alleged act of criminality.

“We wish to warn that the consistent invasion and killing of innocent Niger Deltans is capable of leading to another round of hostilities in the Niger Delta region, the statement warned.

It added, “The youths of the Niger Deklta region would not sit back and allow their communities to be recklessly invaded and people killed like animals”.