The women of Okoloba community in Bomadi local government area have gathered in large numbers to protest the return of armed youths from Okuama in Ughelli South local government area.
The women fear that the presence of these youths poses a significant threat to the peace and security of the riverine area in Delta State.
The peaceful protest was led by the chair lady of the Okoloba community, Timipakebi Goodwin, and the secretary, Mary Koibi. Demonstrators carried placards and chanted against violence and bloodshed, emphasizing the community’s desire for peace.
In a statement addressed to security agencies including the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF, and the acting chairman of Bomadi local government council, Goodwin highlighted a recent killing by youths from Okuama as evidence of their potential for violence.
“First, we, the women of the Okoloba community, sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on a peace and rescue mission to Okuama following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families,” Goodwin stated.
“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot. The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.
“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi local government area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbath.
“Just last week, youths of the Okuama community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them in camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to Okuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and every time, they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.
“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to the Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.
“Resettling them among their own people in the Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect,” Goodwin concluded.
The Okoloba community hopes that their peaceful protest will draw attention to their plight and lead to a resolution that ensures the safety and security of all neighboring communities.
