Leaders of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) have apologised to monarchs and community leaders in Sagamu, Ogun State, for the killings of 12 Yoruba villagers by people suspected to be Niger Delta militants.
The INC condoled with the families that lost their loved ones and property, when the suspected militants invaded the communities.
The Ijaw leaders said the perpetrators of the killings were “criminals”.
Imushin, Elepete, Igbo-Olomu and two others in Ogijo-Sagamu area of Ogun State were reportedly attacked by suspected militants.
The Chairman, Bayelsa Elders Council, Chief Francis Dokpola, who led a delegation of the INC to the Palace of Akarigbo of Remoland in Sagamu, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo, yesterday, said the suspected militants were not sent by them.
The delegation was received at the Akarigbo’s Palace by Oba Sonariwo’s representative, the Odofin of Sanyindo, Oba Samuel Gisanrin; Oba Oladele Dawodu, Onigbepa of Igbepa – Sagamu Oba Solagbade Tijani, Alado of Ado – Sagamu Oba Mufutau Adeoye – Sanni, leaders of the Yoruba Unity Forum, led by Mr. Yinka Odumakin and others.
Addressing the Yoruba leaders, Dokpola said they were at the Akarigbo Palace to pay a condolence visit and discuss the issue with them on how to bring lasting peace to the troubled communities.
He said those who carried out the attacks on the villagers were bunkerers and criminals and not militants or Ijaw people living peacefully among the Yoruba.
The chairman noted that their kinsmen, who lived in the areas, did not flee after the incident, because they were not the perpetrators of the violence.
“These Ijaw people have stayed with you for many years. They did not leave the place after the incident. It means they are not the ones that did it.
“Those who carried out the carnage are bunkerers and criminals. Ijaw people could be among them, Igbo could be there and Ghanaian could be part of the criminals.
“Militants are not killing people; yet they are causing economic sabotage. But killing human beings cannot resolve the matter.
“The security should go after the criminals. INC will investigate. We don’t send them to kill people. We don’t know them. It behoves the Police, the Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest the criminals. On our part, we are investigating and we will submit the report to the appropriate authority.
“We are sorry for what has happened. Our leaders are disturbed; Ijaw people are disturbed,” Dokpola said.
Other Ijaw leaders in the delegation include Chairman, Lagos State INC Chief Patrick Keku; Chairman Ijaw Youth Council, Lagos State, Boma Johnbull and leader of Ijaw Monitoring Group, Andrew Elija.
Oba Gisanrin hailed the meeting, saying such criminal act would not happen again.
The oba agreed that the people that attacked the villagers were not Ijaw people, but criminals.
But the YUF and INC yesterday called for the establishment of state and community police to tackle the spate of attacks and killings in Ogun riverine communities.
YUF and INC said although the Nigeria Police were doing their best to protect lives and properties, he said state and community policing might be the lasting solution to security challenges in Ogun and other parts of country.
Odumakin said the YUF was disturbed by attacks and killings, and hence the need to chart the way forward to forestall such in future.
He said the way out of the problem was for the government to consider the option of state and community policing to deal with crimes.
Odumakin said: “The consensus we have reached here today is that the perpetrators are criminals, who go about disturbing the peace and killing people.
“We have given the Police the mandate to go after the criminals, arrest them and let them face the law. Nobody condones criminality. This must come to an end and whoever they are, they must be smoked out, dealt with and allow peace to reign in our communities.
“We have also said here today that this kind of conflict have brought to fore, the need for state and community policing in Nigeria. Single policing has proved that they are helpless in this kind of situation.”
