Pastor Reuben Clifford Wilson
Yenagoa, Bayelsa State – In a strongly worded reaction from Bayelsa State, Paebi Samson, National President of the Justice & Restoration Network, has vehemently condemned recent comments by Chief Reuben Clifford Wilson, describing them as childish, disrespectful, and lacking any serious understanding of the Niger Delta struggle.
Speaking angrily to journalists on Tuesday, Paebi Samson lambasted Wilson for suggesting that Dr. Ebikabowei Victor Ben (Boyloaf) and Senior High Chief Bibopere Ajube (Shoot-At-Sight) should abandon their push for equitable participation in pipeline security and surveillance contracts and instead “negotiate with the federal government for an oil block allocation.”
“This is the height of arrogance and ignorance coming from someone who has no business lecturing true leaders of the struggle,” Paebi Samson fumed. “Pastor Reuben Clifford Wilson is a white-garment church pastor who knows absolutely nothing about the real Niger Delta struggle. He only gathered some hunters with guns during the period of presidential enmity and jumped into the amnesty programme. He does not speak like a mature human being at all, but like a child throwing tantrums.”
Paebi Samson, visibly angered, stressed that Wilson lacks the pedigree, sacrifice, and strategic insight to address figures of the calibre of Boyloaf and Shoot-At-Sight.
“Dr. Ebikabowei Victor Ben, aka Boyloaf, and Senior High Chief Bibopere Ajube are not his mates — not even close. Talk less of the boys under them who paid the real price in the creeks. Pastor Reuben lacks basic respect and has clearly lost his sanity with this kind of reckless statement,” he added.
The Justice & Restoration Network leader described Wilson’s background as that of an opportunistic latecomer to the struggle. According to Samson, Wilson transitioned from spiritual leadership in the Aladura (white-garment) tradition to a brief militant phase during the amnesty era, without the deep-rooted ideological commitment or battlefield experience that defined core Niger Delta agitators.
In contrast, he praised Boyloaf as a battle-tested senior commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), who has since earned a first-class degree in International Relations and a Master’s with distinction in Intelligence and Global Security, while engaging responsibly in marine transportation and stakeholder engagements for regional stability.
https://ogelenews.ng/pastor-reuben-clifford-wilson-niger-delta-row/
High Chief Bibopere Ajube (Shoot-At-Sight), the Beleukoriwei 1 of Arogbo Kingdom, was equally defended as a formidable traditional and militant leader whose voice carries weight in security and community matters across the region.
Paebi Samson also extended his criticism to Wilson’s apparent disregard for the framework established by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, which has recorded notable successes in curbing oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
“True leaders in the Niger Delta understand that effective pipeline security is not a distraction but a necessity to protect our common resources, create jobs for our youths, and reduce environmental damage from theft and sabotage,” Samson stated. “Suggesting that respected generals like Boyloaf and Shoot-At-Sight should simply chase oil blocks instead shows a shallow, childish understanding of the complex realities on the ground. Oil blocks require huge capital, technical capacity, and genuine community support — they are not magic solutions handed out for political talk.”
He warned that such divisive and immature rhetoric from Wilson risks fracturing the unity needed among ex-agitators and stakeholders at a critical time when the region is pushing for fairness, broader inclusion, and sustainable development.
“Pastor Reuben should stick to his pulpit and white-garment prayers. The creeks and the struggle demand mature voices, strategic thinking, and respect for those who actually fought and sacrificed. Boyloaf, Shoot-At-Sight, Tompolo and their networks earned their place through action, not through opportunistic noise-making during the amnesty period,” Paebi Samson declared.
The National President of the Justice & Restoration Network called on genuine stakeholders, traditional rulers, youth groups, and ex-militants across the Niger Delta to reject divisive grandstanding and focus on evidence-based advocacy that promotes equity, security, and real development for the region’s long-suffering people.
As reactions continue to trail Wilson’s comments, many observers in Bayelsa and beyond see Paebi Samson’s fiery response as reflective of growing resentment against what some describe as “pulpit interference” in high-stakes security and economic matters best handled by battle-hardened and intellectually grounded leaders of the struggle.
https://jamestown.org/prophet-under-arms-a-profile-of-the-niger-deltas-ex-general-reuben-wilson/
Pastor Reuben Clifford Wilson
