28th August, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Bayelsa Government and the Ijaw National Congress, INC have called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to withdraw the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team now stationed in Opu-Nembe local government area of the state.
The Bayelsa State Government has recently imposed a 24-hour curfew on the local government over recent killings believed were linked to the politics of impending November 2023 governorship election.
Akpoebi Agberebi, the Special Adviser to Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri told journalists that the state security council had appealed to Egbetokun to withdraw the SWAT police team.
He said a joint security forces made up of operatives within the state should be entrusted with the responsibility of resolving the crisis.
The INC also faulted the continued stay of the police detachment in troubled Opu-Nembe community despite its claim that peace has been restored in the community.
Speaking on Saturday in Yenagoa, President of Ijaw National Congress, Professor Benjamin Okaba, said the SWAT team drafted to the community by Egbetokun to quell disturbance is now acting differently.
He said: “By the police’s own record, the operation was said to be very successful and the targets met with the arrest of some youths, but despite the claim of success, the SWAT team has now taken a permanent abode in Opu Nembe.
“The question begging for an answer is why the police refused to withdraw its operatives from the community. Could it be true that the police have become an agent of some individuals and politicians for the impending governorship election in Bayelsa State?
“Many persons are getting worried with the continuous staying of these operatives. This is the reason that a lot of people who have left the community have vowed not to return because of harassment. As we speak, if you go to Opu Nembe, it’s like the Police operatives outnumber the population.
“If they are saying that the operation was successful and if arrests have been made, why not go ahead and prosecute them?
“We also need to bear in mind that an alarm was raised that necessitated the invasion has been investigated thoroughly and from the reports that were given at the security council meeting of Bayelsa State where I was privileged to attend, it was discovered that the alarm was a false alarm. They claim no life was lost, that the earlier information given to the public was false. But the claim that no life was lost was also false. In fact, they recorded about six deaths with many missing.”
Speaking on the dusk-to-dawn curfew, the INC President said the organisation was okay with the decision.
“As INC, we endorse the resolutions made by the state security council which include a curfew, investigations into as many persons that are involved and they should be brought to book,” he said.
Okaba urged all political actors in the November 11 governorship election to play by the rules and shelve every form of political bitterness.
He called on the relevant stakeholders from Nembe to make sure that the crisis rocking Opu Nembe currently is resolved amicably before the November 11 election.
He said: “We want to use this opportunity to call on Ijaw people to remove ourselves from the politics of bitterness.
“It is obvious that the current Nembe issue has both community, chieftaincy, political and economic undertones and as INC, we are not here to blame anybody because we are for everybody, our interest is about the enthronement of peace.
“We are calling on critical stakeholders in Nembe, friends of Nembe to work together to bring peace back to that place. If nothing is done, Nembe will remain deserted and communities around Nembe will begin to feel the impact. It is a clarion call for action to our politicians, let us distance ourselves from politics of bitterness.
“For us, the November 11 election should be about the capacity to deliver. Sentiments, including,the party divide should not play any role because these major gladiators, Labour Party, PDP and APC candidates are well-known figures. We know their capacities and we should vote based on their capacities. Nobody should be prevented from expressing himself.”