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The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) has threatened court action against the Federal Government (FG) and the Nigerian Military over alleged invasion and burning down of over 50 houses at Toru-Ndoro community, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
IYC alleged that the military set houses ablaze during the search for the deceased militant known as Karowei, who was alleged to had beheaded a security operative and killing of four other soldiers.
In a statement, IYC president, Eric Omare, called on the FG and the Nigerian Military to commence the rebuilding of the destroyed community or face a court action from the Ijaw youths and communities.
Omare, in the statement arising from a meeting with some youth leaders of Toru-Ndoro in Yenagoa, gave the FG a two-week deadline to begin the procedure towards the rebuilding of Toru-Ndoro community and compensate those who suffered losses as a result of the invasion.
He said the IYC would mobilize Ijaw and human right lawyers all over Nigeria to sue the FG and the Nigerian military to court for the unlawful damage to properties and other damages suffered.
Omare further stated that it is illegal and unconstitutional for a community to be burnt down in the name of searching for a suspected criminal.
“There is no law in Nigeria which empowers security agencies to attack and burn down the entire community because of the alleged offences of a few members of the community,” he said.
The IYC leader recalled the several cases of invasion of Ijaw communities by military authorities including Okerenkoko, Ayakoromo, Ajapa, Odi, Ajakuruama and now Toru-Ndoro.
Meanwhile, the IYC has condemn the recent abduction of a former female Commissioner in Bayelsa state, Marie Ebikake, calling on the gunmen, who abducted her to immediately release her unconditionally.
The youths, who described the incident as abominable, unacceptable, barbaric and condemnable, vowed to assist security agencies to arrest and prosecute the hoodlums.
Ebikake, the first female local government chairperson of Brass and a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was kidnapped at her Igbogene residence, Yenagoa, the state capital, on Sunday.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, the Central Zone Chairman of the IYC, Mr. Tare Porri, asked misguided youths to apply caution and stop acts capable of embarrassing the Ijaw nation.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Porri said it was abominable for anybody to be kidnapped in Ijaw land adding that the abduction of Ebikake was most despicable.
Describing Ebikake as a respected mother in the state, Porri asked her captors to spare no thought in releasing her without asking for ransom.
“We want to condemn the act in its entirety and then call for caution. I do not see reason why the Ijaw will kidnap a fellow Ijaw. I don’t want to believe that the kidnap was orchestrated by Ijaw people.
“As a custodians of the Ijaw struggle, we don’t think is ideal for an Ijaw man to kidnap a fellow Ijaw man. It is an abomination. It is unacceptable, condemnable, barbaric.
“It is unfortunate that in this 2018, people are still talking about kidnapping other human beings. It is unfortunate we have found ourselves in this situation,” he said.