Army Raids Tompolo's Meeting Venue

…IYC Condemns Invasion
SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, (THEWILL) – Soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) codenamed Operation Pulo Shield on Saturday overran the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, venue of parley by former militants leaders convened by General Officer Commanding the outlawed Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo).

This came against the backdrop of moves by Bayelsa state Governor Siariake Dickson to prevail on Tompolo to call off the meeting for security reasons.

Tompolo had in a statement sent by his media aide, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, said that the motive for the parley was misconstrued, adding that the tension generated by the meeting is uncalled for, diversionary and mischievous as no evil is intended in whatever form.

This came as a faction of MEND allegedly loyal to Henry Okah, in a statement signed by its traditional spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, disassociated itself from the meeting, saying it was an assembly of contractors and disgruntled elements in the region.

But reacting to the development, foremost Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Eric Omare, said the invasion of the Ijaw House which served as administrative headquarters of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) as well as the Bayelsa State Ministry of Ijaw National Affairs and Culture was illegal, unconstitutional and a draw back to the dark days of military dictatorship where Nigerians were deprived of their fundamental rights.

While condemning the alleged invasion, IYC in the statement emailed to THEWILL, restated that a combined team of military and police officers in the early hours of Saturday, the 25th of July, 2015 invaded and took over Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State to prevent ex-Niger Delta agitators from having their proposed meeting.

“This is illegal, unconstitutional and a draw back to the dark days of military dictatorship where Nigerians were deprived of their fundamental rights,” the statement added.

“The IYC wishes to remind the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari that we are in a constitutional democracy where things are done according to law.

“The 1999 Constitution which is the foundation upon which our democracy is built recognises the right to freedom of assembly and movement.

“The Niger-Delta people whether as ex-agitators or youth groups have the right to assembly in a meeting and free movement. Since yesterday, the 24th of July, 2015, all officers and administrative staff of the INC and IYC including Bayelsa State civil servants under the Bayelsa State Ministry of Ijaw Nationl Affairs and Culture have been denied access to the premises.

“This is a threat to our nascent democracy. Democracy is not only about having rice and beans to eat but the enjoyment of basic and fundamental rights which are enshrined and guaranteed in the constitution.

“The fears of many Nigerians that General Buhari would take Nigeria back to the dark days of dictatorship where there is no regard for human rights are coming to reality.

“The IYC has it on good authority that President Buhari has an agenda to bomb and destroy the Niger-Delta region, especially the Ijaw areas.

“The military movement into the Niger Delta region we have been reliably informed would commenced this week. The IYC, the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta people, wish to alert Nigerians and the international community of this impending humanitarian disaster.

“President Buhari did not go to a war with the Niger Delta people in the March 28, 2015 Presidential election with Niger-Delta born Goodluck Jonathan but only contested an election for which he came out victorious. We are therefore at loss as to why President Buhari has decided to treat the Niger Delta region like an enemy zone and a conquered territory. Only two days in faraway United States, President Buhari confirmed that he would not treat the Niger Delta region like other regions.

“President Buhari has demonstrated so far in office that he is not interested in the welfare of the people of the Niger Delta but only in the oil resources found in the Niger Delta region.”

IYC called on President Buhari to order the military and police officers presently forcefully occupying Ijaw House, Yenagoa to immediately vacate the premises and stop forthwith the violation of the rights of people who have business to carry out at Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

IYC however called on political, opinion and religious leaders and the international community to prevail on General Buhari to have regard for constitutionalism in the Niger Delta region and stop the violation of the rights of Niger Deltans.

IYC said it would also take immediate legal and related actions to address these violations, saying whether President Buhari likes it or not, the Niger Delta people would meet to determine their destiny in Nigeria.