IYC Cautions Simon Ekpa, Says Ijaw Struggle Older Than Biafra

By Rejoice Egbaseimokumor

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has cautioned Simon Ekpa, a Biafran agitator in exile not to link Ijaw territories to Biafra, stressing that the Ijaw struggle for resource control leading to the declaration of Niger Delta Republic by late Hero Maj. Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro is older than the Biafra agitation for a sovereign state from Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State earlier today by Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide.

The Ijaw Youth Council had warned Simon Ekpa and his proponents of Biafra to keep clear from ever trying to annex Ijaw territories to themselves as the Ijaws have never been part and can never be part of Biafra.

The statement reads in full below:

Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Press Release

28/03/2024

IYC Warns Simon Ekpa Over Reckless Comment, Says Ijaws Are Not Part Of Biafra And Can Never Be Part Of Biafra

The attention of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has been drawn to a strange video by one Simon Ekpa, who is from the eastern part of Nigeria, now masquerading as the leader of Biafra in exile. In the said video posted on Twitter, he tried to establish Ijaw territories as part of his imaginary Biafra state.

In the said video, Simon Ekpa expressed the point that Nigerian soldiers attacked his Biafra people and Biafra republic. He was simply referring to the Okuama attack in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday 14th of March 2024 wherein 17 Soldiers were killed and the subsequent onslaught carried out by the military on Igbomotoro and Peremabiri Ijaw communities in Bayelsa. The fundamental claim the renegade Biafra nationalist is making is that both Okuama community in Delta and Igbomotoro in Bayelsa state are part of his purported Biafran State. He thus threatened to unleash mayhem on Nigerian Soldiers on the 29th of March 2024 to avenge the death of civilians who had lost their lives on the military onslaught.

However, IYC is already dealing with a lot of issues regarding the attack on the soldiers and the subsequent invasion of Ijaw communities by the military, resulting in the loss of many lives. The Ijaw people have never at any point in time been part of Biafra and can never be part of Biafra. The attack on the Soldiers had been condemned and it remained condemned just as the IYC had also charged the military to go after only the criminals and not killing of innocent people which we have also condemned in Igbomotoro and Peremabiri.

For the purpose of clarity, the Ijaw Youth Council is putting the records straight that the Ijaw struggle for a better living condition in Nigeria is older than the so-called Biafra agitation. Our late Ijaw hero and foremost nationalist, Major Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro, who is regarded as champion of minority rights movement in Nigeria, declared the “Niger Delta Republic ” on February 23rd 1966 a year after, before late Odumegwu Ojukwu who was the then governor of the Eastern Region declared the Biafra Republic on May 30, 1967.

As Ijaw people, we are Nigerians, original occupants, and dwellers of the Niger Delta region. We reiterate that no part of Niger Delta belongs to their so-called imaginary Biafra. The struggle of the Ijaw people is majorly in resource control and not a secessionist movement. We have our own struggles, and the Indegenous People of Biafra also have their own separate struggle. The Ijaws are not part of their Biafra struggle and ideology.

While the IYC is not opposed to the Biafra agitation, as Ijaws, we are law-abiding people in the Nigerian State. What we will not tolerate, going forward, is to watch Biafrans to lay claims to our territories. We are Ijaw people. We are Nigerians in the Niger Delta. We don’t have any ties or whatever with the Biafra people and their agitation.

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide is sounding a note of warning to Simon Ekpa and his group of Biafra disciples to keep clear from the Niger Delta and the Ijaw people as we will not tolerate any other reckless comment about our people and territories belonging to their imaginary Biafra.

Finally, the IYC is using this medium to inform the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigerian military that all the areas mentioned are not part of Biafra and can never be part of Biafra as IYC will not allow any purported attack on the military in our territories come March 29th 2024.

Signed
Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill
Spokesman Ijaw Youth Council (IYC)
Worldwide