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| Placard bearing members of issele-Azagba at the press conference. |
“There’s a
place in the Issele-Azagba bush that has been forcefully occupied and filled
with cattle by herdsmen, and they are we armed. It is Issele-Azagba land and
now no member of the community dares to go there for fear of being killed.”
The
foregoing was the response to a journalist’s question by Comrade Ogegbu Edozie,
President General, Issele-Azagba Youth during a press conference today, March
7, 2020, in the sleepy but troubled town as they contend with the problem of
insecurity in the Aniocha North Local Government community of Delta State.
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| A cross section of community members at the issele-Azagba press conference. |
The press
conference was called by the community leaders to call attention of the
Federal, State and Governments and the world in general about the overwhelming problem
of insecurity being experienced by the people since October 2019. In all, now
fewer than for such attacks of killings, kidnap and payment of ransom, rape of
women and the destruction of farm produce has continued unabated caused by
armed bandits.
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| Obi of Issele-Azagba, Agbogidi Francis Jideuwa Ijei at the press conference. |
At the press
conference attended by the monarch of the town, His Royal Majesty, Agbogidi Obi
Francis Ijei, the Ogbelani of Issele-Azagba, Chief Christian Uwandulu, the
President General, Issele Azagba Development Union, Mr.Bennet Illoh, Vice
chairman, Aniocha North Local Government Council, Mr. Tobechukwu Uwamedua,
Comrade Ogegbu Edozie and Secretary, Obi-in-council, Mr. Louis Ndoh, the
community leaders complained frightfully about the attacks on the community has
has made life and property insecure.
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| Issele-Azagba community leaders that addressed the press conference. |
Mr, Illoh
raised alarm that there were three attacks on the community with three weeks,
in one of them, one man was killed in his house, his wife abducted and the baby
shot in the hand. “A ransom was paid and the woman was released.
On February
6, 2020, another attack was carried out in which one Sebastian was killed in
his house. On march 4th, 2020 another attack came that was one too many.
Both Mr. Illoh and the President General of the Youth Association who addressed
the journalists acknowledged that both the state government and the security
agencies have been doing their best and that there is police patrol presence in
the town, but that the people are troubled by the frequency of the attacks. “The
hoodlum have decided to take this place as their refuge and do whatever they
do,” Illoh said.
Answering
questions from journalists, Comrade Edozie lamented that never in the history of
Issele-Azagba has the community experienced the attack assault on the community
that has kept the people to live in fear. He criticized the system in Nigeria
where the president is expected to secure and protect the people. “How can
Federal Government secure us from Abuja in Issele-Azagba. And the attackers
come to make our women become widows and husbands widowers. It is a national
calamity,’ Edozie said.
He
continued: “We have reported the forceful take over of our land by herdsmen to
the police. This is a failure of government; the government at all levels have
failed to protect the people. People who were abducted interacted with their
kidnappers and they know their abductors by the language they speak whil in the
kidnappers’ den.and so they are able to
tell who their kidnappers are.”
Pleading for
the government to come urgently to the rescue, Comrade Edozie said that the situation is now such
that it is us versus Killers herdsmen and criminals.
Some of the
placards carried by the people read: “We cannot walk free in Issele-AZAGBA;” “It is the responsibility of government to
protect life and property; Government of Delta State protect the people of
Issele-Azagba;” “The activities of herdsmen must stop, Okowa must respond to
us.” “Okowa! Okowa! Okowa! Issele-Azagba is calling for help. Bandits have
taken over our community.” “Our wives not safe, husbands not safe, children not
safe, teachers not safe, properties not safe, crops not safe.”
Other placards
also read: “Herdsmen attack is becoming something else in Issele-Azagba”;
Enough of killings in our beloved town, Issele-Azagba”.
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