Ologbo-Kolokolo axis is nothing short of a war zone, INYC raises alarm

The Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, has raised alarm, saying the Ologbo-Kolokolo axis in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State is, “nothing short of a war zone, as it now seems”.

While warning that, “every Itsekiri that has anything to do in those environment (Ologbo, Kolokolo, Ajoki, Ajatiton, Ikara and other adjoining Itsekiri indigenous communities) should be on alert as that area is not safe for any social, political and economic activities”, INYC stressed: “Everyone should beware, especially the principal actors on both sides, until this issue is amicably resolved. This, to us, is to prevent issues of additional casualty from the Itsekiri end”.

The apex Itsekiri Youths body, which raised the alarm Monday June 22 in Warri, Delta State, during a press conference, alleged: “The Binis have strategically capitalized on the ongoing investigation by the Nigerian Police to unravel the mystery behind our missing son and brother (Mr. Sunny Etchie) to unleash reprisal attacks wherein all the casualties lying critically ill in various hospitals in both Delta & Edo States are Itsekiris. All the properties destroyed and lost in this reprisals belonged to Itsekiris”. 

The press statement signed by INYC President Worldwide, Comr. Weyinmi Agbateyiniro and its Secretary-General, Comr. Appearance Afejuku, states inter-alia:

“1. The crisis involving the Itsekiris of Edo State and their Bini counterpart is rather most unfortunate because no Itsekiri man will be happy that itsekiris are at war or the Binis have gone into war with the Itsekiris because the two ethnic groups have both filial and traditional relationships that are inseparable. 

“2. However, crisis being an integral aspect of human existence, when they do occur, especially in this case, It is only natural that Itsekiris will give their total and absolute solidarity to the Itsekiris and expectedly, the Binis will give their total solidarity to the Binis. 

“3. Unfortunately, the case we have in Edo State is a complicated one in which some aggrieved Itsekiris surprisingly switched their solidarity to the Binis thereby injecting some serious complications into the crisis. They have even gone ahead with the Binis to the media to make proclamations that are not true. Ologbo, Kolokolo, Ajoki, Ajatiton, Ikara and other adjoining Itsekiri indigenous communities in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area and those elsewhere in Edo State have, since existence be known Itsekiri indigenous communities. They do not have any linguistic connection with the Binis. Interestingly, this is not peculiar to the Itsekiris alone as we also have indigenous Bini communities in Delta State. Needless to also mention that besides Delta State, indigenous Isoko and Urhobo communities exist in neighboring Bayelsa State. All of these do not immediately transfer ownership from one ethnic nationality to another. Because the boundaries established to create these demarcations are for mere administrative conveniences.

“4. It is also important to place on record that during this unfortunate crisis, several attempts have been made by notable Itsekiri leaders to resolve both the Itsekiri-Itsekiri component and the Bini-Itsekiri component of the crisis but these attempts regrettably, as they now seem, did not achieve the required results. Therefore, when the inauspicious news came that our brother and Comrade, Mr. Sunny Etchie was and is still missing, this jolted everybody including the leadership of the INYC. It is uncultural, unethical and unItsekiri for any Itsekiri to go to war with the sole aim of bringing down a fellow Itsekiri. Our condemnation to such notion is total and absolute.

“5. It was also reported that the Binis have strategically capitalized on the ongoing investigation by the Nigerian police to unravel the mystery behind our missing son and brother to unleash reprisal attacks wherein all the casualties lying critically ill in various hospitals in both Delta & Edo states are Itsekiris. All the properties destroyed and lost in this reprisals belonged to Itsekiris. 

“6. Conspiratorially, one Curtis Ugbo and his faceless Bini Solidarity Movement have created all kinds of false impressions in the media. All of such verbal vituperations and diarrhea (now on various media) are what the leadership of this council is not prepared to glorify by joining issues with them since the antecedents of the said Curtis Ugbo and some of his co-travelers have been about making several trips to and fro prison. In any sane society, such individual or group by now would have been appropriately situated.

“7. The above notwithstanding, we wish to make the following proclamations that: 

a) the Ologbo-Kolokolo axis as it now seems, is nothing short of a war zone. Therefore every Itsekiri that has anything to do in those environment should be on alert as that area is not safe for any social, political and economic activities. Everyone should beware especially the principal actors on both sides until this issue is amicably resolved. This, to us, is to prevent issues of additional casualty from the Itsekiri end.

b). All Itsekiri critical stakeholders and leaders are hereby invited to immediately wade in to see how the Itsekiri-Itsekiri microcosm of the crisis can be amicably and permanently resolved.

c). All leaders -traditional, political and critical stakeholders from both the Itsekiri and Bini ends should immediately move in to restore normalcy to the already troubled zone. 

“8. Conclusively, the attention of the leadership of this council is now heavily dependent on the outcome of the Police investigation as that will determine our next line of action which the whole world is now heavily inclined to because it was William Gladstone that said that, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

A Cross Section of INYC leaders

×