Nathan Tamarapreye
Youths protesting police brutality on Sunday in Yenagoa, attacked President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Mr Peter Igbifa over alleged reluctance to call out Ijaw youths to join the ongoing protest against police brutality in the country.
Igbifa, who was at the Bayelsa Government House on a courtesy visit to Gov Douye Diri, met a crowd of protesters, who booed him.
Igbifa was eventually guarded out of the rowdy situation by some bodyguards and few Ijaw youths that accompanied him as the protesters continued hauling obscene words.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesman of the Ijaw Youths Council, Mr Ebilade Ekerefe, described the action of the angry protesters as a “sacrilege”.
“IYC is a movement that is founded on principles with a clear mandate and therefore cannot jump into the arena of sociopolitical struggles without studying the unfolding developments and the positive impact such struggles will bring to the table for our people.
“It is against this background we share solidarity with the bravery and the undying spirits of the Nigerian youths who have suffered directly in the hands of police brutality, oppression and intimidation.
“And as council, we’ve always come to the rescue of innocent Ijaw youths who have been severally detained unjustly by the police when called upon.
“Our people should know that as the #EndSARS protest is ongoing, every region is strategizing and ours cannot be different.
“As council, we consider the #EndSARS protest a metaphor for a restructured Nigeria. A Nigeria where the principles of true federalism and resource control will be total and not selective as we’ve witnessed in the case of Zamfara gold.
“A Nigeria where there will be no military invasion to our communities in the guise of looking for criminals where there’s none. A country where there will be equitable distribution of political power.
“A country where the Federal Government will not use obnoxious laws and legislations to take over all that is rightfully ours like they did in the Land Use Act and the proposed anti people water resources bill.
“A country where our oil and gas will not become a curse to our people but a blessing, a country where our environment and ecosystem that our people largely depend on for survival will not be degraded as a result of oil spillage and gas flaring, which have cut short the life expectancy rate of our people.
“A country where there will be religious tolerance, peace and stability. That is what #EndSARS means to the Niger Delta people.
“As a leadership, we may not have got it right completely, but I think we are doing our best to consulting with leaders from the region to come up with a programme that will serve the purpose of our people in this struggle.
“While these steps are going on, some unguarded protesters among genuine once attacked the president of IYC.
“This is sacrilegious and unacceptable. The president of the IYC is the symbol of the Ijaw struggle and the office should be revered and respected by all.
“We can’t treat institutions that have fought for our survival and still fighting with so much disdain if we are fighting for our regional interest,” the statement read.