Rivers Youths Protest Against Alleged Attacks By Fulani Herdsmen in Ogoniland 

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

Scores of youths from Rivers State, under the aegis of the Coalition of Rivers State Youth Bodies and South-South Youths Initiative, took to the streets of Port Harcourt on Tuesday to protest against the killing of their kinsmen by suspected Fulani herders.

The protesters, who converged at UTC junction around 9 am, marched to the Department of State Services, state headquarters, old GRA, and later proceeded to the Rivers State Police Command headquarters, Moscow Road, to register their grievances.

The protesters, bearing placards with inscriptions such as “Police take action against Fulani herdsmen in Ogoni,” “Police intervene for Ogoni people,” and “Nigeria Police enforce the law prohibiting open grazing, injury to one is injury to all, act now police,” expressed their disappointment at the police for not arresting the killers of Ogoni people.

However, their attempt to access Moscow Road leading to the Police headquarters was thwarted by fully armed anti-riot policemen and trucks.

The protest is a response to the escalating violence and insecurity perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in Ogoniland, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives.

The recent attacks in Nyokuru, Ebubu, Sogho, and Ue-ken communities have brought the situation to a boiling point, prompting the youths to demand action from the authorities.

Addressing the police hierarchy in front of the police barricade, the National President South-South Youths Initiative and Chairman Coalition of Rivers State Youth Bodies, Imeabe Saviour Oscar, expressed his displeasure over the security agencies handling of the killings.

Oscar, noted that the youths surprised at the directive of the police, urging them to go back and dialogue with the Fulani herders suspected to be killing their people.

Oscar said, “He cited the recent attacks in Nyokuru, Ebubu, Sogho, and Ue-ken communities by the suspected herders, threatening that the people would no longer fold their arms and idly watch the killing of their kinsmen.

“We received that call from the OC SIB, when we came to honour that invitation, what the SIB informed us was that we should go home and dialogue with our killers. What the OC SIB informed us is that we should go home and dialogue, that he has been calling the chairman of the Fulani herdsmen and that they have not been able to reach him.

“That we should not go ahead and do any protests, we insisted that we want the Commissioner of Police to address is here, he said that the Commissioner of Police was too tired to address is, that the Commissioner of Police was not available to address us, that the Commissioner of Police has so many things to handle for for that reason, the Commissioner of Police cannot address us.

“Meanwhile, we have our brothers and loved ones being killed in Bueke community, we have our loved ones that have been raped and killed in Nyokuru, Ebubu, Sogho, and Ue-ken, we have been patient so much,” He stressed.

Comrade Oscar reading the demands of the people called for the immediate eviction of all Fulani herdsmen from Ogoniland, emphasising that the presence of the herders in the area poses a grave threat to the peace and security of the people.

He threatened that any further attacks on Ogoni people or their livelihood by the suspected herders will be met by fierce resistance and self help.

“We therefore demand the immediate unconditional departure of all Fulani herdsmen from Ogoniland, their continued presence poses a grave threat to the peace and security of our people.

“We call on the relevant authorities to take swift decisive action to end the attacks on our communities and to prevent future occurrence.

“We demand justice for the victims of this brutal assault and accountability for those responsible. We urge the government to strengthen security measures across Ogoniland to protect the lives, land, livelihood and our people. Should these be ignored, I repeat, should these be ignored, we will be left with no choice but to defend ourselves.

“Any further attacks on the lives of Ogoni people will no longer be reported to the Nigerian police and to security agencies, the people of Ogoni will resort tom self help and self defense, we cannot continue to fold our arms, while our loved ones are slaughtered by strangers who have turned our land into a battle ground, the safety and dignity of Ogoni people are non negotiable, let this be a final warning to the police and security agencies, enough is enough.”

Also speaking, Spokesman for the Coalition of Rivers State Youth Bodies, Tamuno Belema, who doubles as the Chairman, Niger Delta Youth Bodies, said although he is not from Ogoniland, he joined the protest in solidarity with the Ogoni people over their plights in the hand some blood thirsty criminals.

“I am from Okrika, but in solidarity of oneness that says injury to one is injury to all, today it is happening to the Ogonis, who knows if we don’t tackle this menace, tomorrow it might be my own community, or Ikwerre, next tomorrow it might be Etche and the security agencies keep on telling us that we should go and dialogue with this people? Unacceptable.

“So we want the security agencies to be proactive and make sure that whoever is in charge of this Fulani herdsmen should be called to order.

“We heard that this cow they are rearing are owned by big men, it does not matter, we have come to see that in Nigeria, one cow is worth more than the lives of 200 persons and it’s unfortunate.”

In his response, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Alhassan Kawu, urged the youths not to resort to violence, assuring that the Police is doing everything within its powers to end the killings in the area.

Kawu said, “My Commissioner of Police has been very very serious with the issue of herdsmen and the communities where they live, I have been a witness to several meetings he has held with them and on several occasions he encouraged the DPOs and Area Commanders to have a stakeholders meeting with them in order to come out with a solution to all these crisis we’ve been having.

“I am very sure and I assure you that he will never joke with your request and I’m sure he’s going to take a very drastic decision on this and ensure that this menace comes to an end.

“I will not be able to say much, but your messages would be delivered to him and he’s going to act positively on them. I also want to tell you that where your right stops, that is where other people’s rights begin, I wouldn’t encourage you to take laws into your hands just as you claim, at every point in time there is always a way of resolving disputes, not until you engage in violence.”

Also addressing the protesters, the state Assistant Commissioner of Police, Iyke Okoro, said the police has launched a crack down on the perpetrators of the killings, urging the people to always avail the police actionable information.

“The CP feels your pains, the CP has been making frantic efforts to make sure that all these problems are nipped on the bud. for example there is herdsmen, farmers and stakeholders town hall meeting going on in Okehi, Andoni and so many other local government areas.

“They are going round LGA by LGA in conjunction with sole administrators of those LGAs.These are some of the steps the CP is taking, perhaps they may not have reached the Ogoni axis, if not for the fact that the Area Commander Bori is now on leave, he would have addressed this issue.

“We are making all efforts to ensure that we address these perpetrators, today, there is an operation going on in Agbonchia forest, this operation is still against the killers in Rivers.

“This is a menace that must be nipped in the bud, but the police cannot do it alone, we urge you to also give us information, police cannot be everywhere,” Okoro added.