lYC Calls on Gov. Obaseki to Caution Obazuwa Community Over ljaw Attack Claims

lYC Calls on Gov. Obaseki to Caution Obazuwa Community Over ljaw Attack Claims

Francis Tayor

Benin____ The leadership of ljaw Youth Council (IYC), Olodiama Clan in Edo State Chapter has called on the Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, the Nigeria Police Force, DSS and other security agencies to as a matter of urgency caution and call to order the people of Obazuwa Utugberu Community as well as one Ugbo over accusing the peace loving ljaw people of lkoro community in Ovia North East LGA, on alleged attack in their Community.

The call was made on the 1st July, 2021 by the lYC Chairman of Olodiama Clan in Edo State Chapter, Comrade Sam Ebiwana, through a Press Statement issued in Sapele at the end of a crucial emergency meeting with all Edo State lYC Clan Chairmen, stated that Obazuwa Community claims are baseless, fictitious and lies from the pit of hell, saying they are known as trouble makers from time immemorial by all their neighboring Communities in Ovia North East.

The IYC Chairman while quoting history, noted that Obazuwa community people are all strangers from Urhobo, Agbor, Calabar and Yoruba land hired by late. Chief. Ejomo to farm for his mother, so as to provide enough food for his family. He stressed that whenever Obazuwa people cause crisis among their neighboring Community, they will cry crocodile tears by quickly writing letter to the Oba of Benin and the Edo State Government to peddles lies in order to gain public sympathy.

Meanwhile, " we the five Clan lYC Chairmen have equally briefed the Edo State Governor Obaseki on Monday this week about the development, and His Excellency has promised to quickly address the issue in the shortest possible time."

The capacity Olodiama Clan ljaw Youth Council Chairman Comrade Ebiwana, has send a stern warning to Bini Communities in Edo State to stay clear from all ljaw Communities/lands, saying they will no longer tolerate any nonsense from them henceforth. He however, called on Governor Godwin Obaseki as well as the security agencies to caution Obazuwa people, and that if they are further pushed to the wall, they have no other choice than to defend themselves with the last drop of their blood, he asserted.

However, read the full details of the Press Statement below:

CANTER OF THEIR BASELESS PUBLICATION OR PRESS STATEMENT.

RE: OBAZUWA UTUGBERU COMMUNITY SEND SOS TO GOVERNOR GODWIN OBASEKI AND OBA OF BENIN OVER ATTACK FROM THE IJAW SETTLERS

RESPOND FROM THE IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL (IYC) EDO STATE CHAPTER, OLODIAMA CLAN. A VERY SERIOUS WARNING.

WE JUST WANT TO PUT THE RECORDS STRAIGHT IN RESPONDING TO THE ABOVE BASELESS PUBLICATION OR PRESS STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY OBAZUWA COMMUNITY. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO THIS SO CALLED OBAZUWA COMMUNITY AND THAT OF CULTIST UGBO FOR THE OUTER WORLD TO ALSO BEAR US WITNESS THAT, THE IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL (IYC) EDO STATE CHAPTER, OLODIAMA CLAN, HEREBY CLEARLY STATED AS FOLLOWS :

WE THE GOOD AND PEACE LOVING PEOPLE OF IKORO COMMUNITY EXISTING IN IKORO, FARMING, HUNTING AND FISHING ON THOSE LANDS EVEN BEFORE THE EXISTENCE OF THIS SO CALLED OBAZUWA COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A LOT OF EVIDENCES TO BACK UP ALL THIS FACTS. NOW THESE ARE THE FACTS. THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN NIGERIA WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 1880 IN IKORO COMMUNITY WHILE IKORO PRIMARY SCHOOL, IKORO WAS FOUNDED IN THE YEAR 1917. THE PEOPLE OF OBAZUWA COMMUNITY WAS BROUGHT HERE BY LATE CHIEF EZOMO TO FARM FOR HIS MOTHER SO THAT THERE WILL BE ENOUGH FOOD IN HIS PALACE, AND THAT WAS AROUND 1946. THE EVIDENCES ARE THERE TO SHOW. EVEN MOST PEOPLE THAT ARE CLAIMING OBAZUWA COMMUNITY INDEGENES TODAY ARE FROM URHOBO, AGBOR, CALABAR AND YORUBA. LIKE THEIR ODIONWEI WHO IS FROM ADO EKITI PATERNALLY AND AGBEDE MATERNALLY.

BUT THE IJAWS OF IKORO COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ON THIS LAND SINCE EXISTENCE, EVEN OUR GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRAND FATHERS LIVE IN THIS LAND BEFORE THEIR DEATH AND THEY WERE BURIED IN THIS SAME LAND. I DARE OBAZUWA PEOPLE WHO ARE CLAIMING THE REAL SETTLERS IN OUR LAND TO SHOW US WHERE THEIR GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRAND FATHER'S GRAVE IN OBAZUWA.

WE THE IJAWS BEING PEACE LOVING PEOPLE ACOMODATING THE OBAZUWA PEOPLE ON OUR LAND BECAUSE THE LAW DID NOT PERMIT  US TO CHASE  ANYBODY AWAY IN A PARTICULAR PLACE OR LAND THAT THEY HAVE SETTLED IN FOR OVER TEN YEARS. THAT IS THE MAJOR REASON WHY THIS SO CALLED OBAZUWA PEOPLE ARE STILL SETTLING IN OUR LAND UP TO THIS MOMENT.

NOW IN REGARDS TO THE FALSE ALLIGATION LEVELED AGAINST US (IKORO YOUTHS) THAT THE YOUTHS OF IKORO COMMUNITY CAME TO ATTACK THEM IN OBAZUWA WITH GUNS, CUTLASSES AND OTHER WEAPONS. I LAUGH AT THEM BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR USUAL WAY OF LIES JUST TO GET SYMPATHY FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. AT THIS JUNCTURE, I THINK I SHOULD DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THE PEOPLE BACK TO THE PREVIOUS ATTACK THAT OBAZUWA PEOPLE ATTACK OUR BROTHERS FEW MONTHS AGO. I CAME ON FACEBOOK TO LET THE OUTER WORLD KNOW WHAT OBAZUWA PEOPLE DID TO SOME OF OUR IJAW YOUTHS (IKORO) ON THEIR WAY TO BENIN CITY WHERE OBAZUWA PEOPLE ATTACKED THEM WITH CUTLASSES AND OTHER DANGEROUS WEAPONS. THEY BRUTALLY INJURED THEM TO THE POINT OF DEATH. THE VICTIMS OF THE ATTACK SPENT SEVERAL DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL BEFORE THEY RECOVERED. MIND YOU, WE HAVE EVIDENCE ON ALL THIS, BOTH THE HOSPITAL REPORT AND THE POLICE REPORT ON THIS AND NONE OF THE IKORO YOUTHS, I REPEAT NONE OF THE IKORO YOUTHS WENT TO THEIR COMMUNITY OR ATTACK ANY OF THE OBAZUWA PEOPLE FOR A REVENGE. EVEN WHEN THE POLICE TRY TO CALL THIS CALL OBAZUWA REGARDS TO THIS CASE, THEY REFUSED TO HONOUR THE POLICE INVITATION. AND SOME TIME AGO, THIS SO CALLED OBAZUWA PEOPLE WAKE UP ONE MORNING TO BLOCK THE ONLY ACCESS ROAD THAT LEAD TO OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CITY WITHOUT NO REASON. IT WAS THE INTERVENTION OF POLICE AND DSS THAT LEAD TO THE UNBLOCK OF THE ROAD THAT PERIOD AND THERE ARE ALSO EVIDENCES TO THAT EFFECT. SO IF THIS PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT ATTACK, IT LOOK AS IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SAYING OR DOING. MAY BE THEY DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORD ATTACK, BECAUSE THIS SO CALLED OBAZUWA PEOPLE LIVE CONFORTABLE IN THEIR HOUSES, FARM ON OUR LAND WITHOUT ANY ATTACK OR ANY FORM OF OPPRESSION FROM THE IJAWS. IF WHAT AM SAYING IS FALSE, I CHALLENGE THEM TO  PROVE MY CLAIMS WRONG TO THE PUBLIC. THIS SAME OBAZUWA PEOPLE HAVE HELD SEVERAL MEETINGS NEGOTIATING AND OPEN AN ACCOUNT TO  COLLECT MILLIONS OF NAIRA'S FROM THE LAND DEVELOPERS. YET THEY COULD COME TO THE PUBLIC TO DENY AND CLAIM IGNORANCE OF SALE OF ANY LAND. I DARE OBAZUWA PEOPLE TO CHALLENGE AND PROOF ME WRONG ON THIS. LET ME ALSO SHOCK THE WORLD WITH THIS, DUE TO OBAZUWA EVIL MIND, THEY ARE NOT AT PEACE WITH ALL THEIR NEIGHBOURING COMMUNITIES AROUND THEM. EVIDENCE TO THIS FACT CAN ALSO BE CONFIRMED FROM EGBAN, EVOBLEKEP AND IGBOBI COMMUNITIES.

BASE ON THIS, WE THE IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL (IYC), EDO STATE CHAPTER, WANT TO USE THIS MEDIUM TO CALL ON ALL SECURITY APARATUS, ACROSS THE STATE, AND THE STATE GOVERNOR, MR.

GODWIN OBASEKI TO CALL THIS OBAZUWA PEOPLE TO ORDER, AND ONE CULTIST IGBO TO STOP TAGGING IJAW WITH BAD NAMES. WE ARE PEACE LOVING IJAW PEOPLE, WE DON'T TAKE WHAT DEOS NOT BELONG TO US. OUR LAND REMAIN OUR LAND, EVERYTHING ABOUT IJAW IS TRUTH BECAUSE  IJAW MEANS TRUTH. I WANT TO ALSO USE THIS MEDIUM TO PLEAD WITH THE EDO STATE GOVERNOR AND ALL SECURITY AGENCIES TO PLEASE HELP US TO TALK OR WARN ALL THE BINI COMMUNITIES TO PLS STAY CLEAR AWAY FROM EVERY IJAW COMMUNITIES OR LAND IN THE STATE. ENOUGH BECAUSE WE WILL NOT AND SHALL NOT TAKE IT LIKELY ANYMORE. THIS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUSHING US TO THE WALL FOR LONG, WE ARE PATIENT OR CALM DEOS NOT MEAN WE DON'T KNOW OUR RIGHTS.

A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE, HE THAT HAVE EAR LET HIM/HER HEAR.

SIGNED:

COMRADE SAM EBIWANA, CHAIRMAN IJAW YOUTHS COUNCIL (IYC) EDO STATE CHAPTER, OLODIAMA CLAN.