…Warns Against Disruption Of Peace Between Arogbo Ijaw/Ilaje Communities
The Arogbo Ijaw Ibe Youth Council (AIIYC) has raised alarm over the recent illegal intrusion and indiscriminate gunshots in the Amapere community of Arogbo Kingdom, Ese-Odo Local Government Area, Ondo State.
According to a statement signed by the council’s national president, Comr. Shoki Gbadia, along with the general secretary, Comr. Kiriki Doubra, and the publicity secretary, Comr. Ebikontei Utanghan, the instigator, identified as Idowu Asonja from Ilaje Local Government Area, is accused of disrupting the existing peace in the region.
The incident, which occurred on the 9th of February 2024, saw Asonja leading a convoy of heavily armed men with AK47 rifles into the community. The group targeted a filling station owned by Andrew Akpobi, a registered fuel marketer in Amapere.
Asonja and his accomplices reportedly forcibly entered the filling station, making off with five drums of diesel intended for the Lister power generator crucial to the station’s operations. To the dismay of the community, the assailants set ablaze some empty rubber containers before leaving with the stolen diesel.
Furthermore, the AIIYC expressed shock at the lack of prior information regarding any illegal oil business in the area. The Arogbo Kingdom had actively participated in anti-oil theft efforts, working alongside national youth councils to curb illegal oil bunkering. The AIIYC pointed out that Asonja’s actions were not sanctioned by any constituted authority within the kingdom, violating established procedures for addressing unauthorized business activities.
The youth council vehemently condemned Asonja’s alleged attempt to destabilize the peace and harmony between the Arogbo Ijaw and Ilaje communities. They emphasized that he failed to inform relevant authorities, including federal security outfits, before taking such drastic actions. The AIIYC accused Asonja of invading their land and taking the law into his own hands without proper consultation with the appropriate authorities.
The AIIYC called on state security services to investigate the matter and summon Asonja to explain his actions. They stressed the need for justice to prevail and urged authorities to address the situation promptly. The youth council emphasized that the invasion had forced women and children from the affected community to flee for their safety.
The full statement is reproduced below.
AROGBO IJAW IBE YOUTH COUNCIL (AIIYC)
ESE-ODO LGA, ONDO STATE.
THE UNLAWFUL INTRUSION OF OUR TERRITORY AND THE INDISCRIMINATE GUNSHOTS BY MR. IDOWU ASONJA, FROM ILAJE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, A THREAT TO THE EXISTING PEACE AND HARMONY.
It has come to our notice in the recent illegal intrusion and gunshots in Amapere community of Arogbo Kingdom in Ese-odo Local government area, Ondo state, by Mr. IDOWU ASONJA, which has threatened the existing peace of our land since the 9th of February, 2024.
This has instilled fear to the residents within the area as he drove in to the community with some heavily armed men with AK47 Riffles and others in his convoy, where they went to a filling station located at Amapere community, owned by Mr. Andrew Akpobi, a registered fuel marketer.
Mr. ASONJA, and his cohorts broke into the filling station and carried five drums of Diesel said to be using for the Lister power generator for the success of the business since no one can be selling a filling station without a highly powered generator source to supply power. And to our greatest surprise, only set some empty rubbers ablazed while leaving with the five drums of Diesel.
However, Mr. ASONJA, has forcefully taken away the five drums of Diesel and a big generator to an unknown destination till date without any notice, which was to confirmed us by the community youth president, Comr. Etari Samuel, who is one of the bedrocks in the national youth council.
Moreso, to our dismay, we never imagined any illegal oil business to be going on in our terrain because the national youth council, was part of the anti-oil theft agencies which directly or indirectly involved in curbing illegal oil bunkering within the Arogbo Kingdom, in the fomer phase of the pipeline security contract awarded to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, by the federal government in 2022, which ends on August, 2023.
Unequivocally, we condemn the act of Mr. ASONJA, whose intention is to destabilize the existing peace and harmony between the Arogbo Ijaw and her Ilaje counterpart. This is because, ASONJA, did not duly informed any constituted authority in the kingdom, including the federal security outfits, which in an ideal situation would have been done if it were a right action against an unauthorized business firm. And he is quite aware of the unrelenting effort of the prescribed authority, His Imperial Majesty (Barr) Z.D Egbunu (JP), the Agadagba of Arogbo Ibe, as well the youths who are absolutely working with the security services to ensure the prevailing justice.
In a simple language, ASONJA, invaded our land while taken the law into his hand and if he is working with the government, he shouldn’t have done anything without consulting even the security apparatus in the jurisdiction.
He should know his jurisdiction to exercise his power because there is limitation to even the right of citizenry as demands by law.
Moreover, Mr. ASONJA, cannot tell us to be fighting oil theft if he claims to be, because, there is high degree of the illegal bunkering activities suspected to be going on in his jurisdiction in AWOYE Community, after the oil theft has stopped completely in every other parts of the region which we are saying without mincing any word.
The Awoye community in Ilaje Local government area, is an aboard of bunkering activities in Ondo state. But we did not say anything in it since it is outside our jurisdiction.
We are galvanizing into action to give stern warning to whoever willing to be unjust to the indigenious people of Arogbo at all time.
Nonetheless, we want to call on the state security services to invite Mr. ASONJA, to explain who saddled him the responsibility to come into another local government area to do his wills and where he is entitled to disrupt the peace of our land without notice.
As we are talking, some women and their children are fleeing from the affected community to the neighborhoods to safe their lives.
In conclusion, we want justice to prevail over this indefensible gunshots and invasion of our land to let him understands what it would have been transpired if we were not persevered enough to have traced him to wherever he goes and anything happens would have been history.
Signed:
Comr. Shoki Gbadia,
National president.
Comr. Kiriki Doubra,
General secretary.
Comr. Ebikontei Utanghan,
Publicity secretary.
12/02/2024.
