Gelegelegbene/Oba of Benin: Ethnic crisis looms over continued detention of Ijaws in Edo

There seem to be a looming crisis between the Ijaws and the people of Benin over the alleged continued detention of Ijaw sons by security operatives in Edo State.

This was made known to newsmen on Tuesday in Warri during a press briefing by some leaders of the Coalition of Ijaw Civil Society Groups.

According to Comr. Austin Ozobo who briefed the press on behalf of the Civil Society Groups had maintained that the arrested Ijaw sons include “Comrade Daniel Ezekiel, Sam Ebiwana , Abiodun Peter Eda, Oil Priye Oyeh and Olu Deremo and others”.

In the statement jointly signed by the trio of Comr. Ozobo Austin, National President, Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI; Comr. Peter Luke, Security Secretary, IPDI and Amb. Salaco Yerinmene Peters Jnr; National Coordinator, Ijaw Interest Advocates, IIA had acused the Oba of Benin of coniving with the police and other security operatives in Benin to arrest Ijaw sons.

The statement had maintained that the Ijaw sons were arrested due to their stiff opposition to the Oba of Benin on his bid to allegedly annex part of Gelegelegbene land in Olodiama Kingdom into the Benin empire in Edo State.

They had emphasized that the lives of the Ijaws in Edo state are in danger, hence the press conference.

The trio had particularly called on the Inspector General of Police, IG to watch the conduct of the Nigeria Police Force, adding that the unlawful arrest of Ijaw sons without offense is becoming worrisome and a thing of concern.

The statement read in part: “We are here to brief the press over the continues indescriminate and unlawful arrests ,detention ,intimidation and harrassement of members of Gelegelegbene community and other Ijaws in Edo state by the law enforcement agents, precisely the police under Special ant_robbery squad and Department of state security service, DSS Edo state by the directive of the Oba of Benin and gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo state.

“We got a distress call in our office on Thursday June 27th at about 11am from members of Gelegelegbene ,Ekenwan and Ikoro communities in Olodiama Kingdom that their sons were unlawfully arrested by SARS in Edo state force headquarters which was orchestrated by Benin Monarch using some unscrupulous Ijaw sons as pointers. The names of those who were arrested and detained on that Thursday were given as Comrade Daniel Ezekiel, Sam Ebiwana and Abiodun Peter Eda.

“While we were trying to find out what transpires, we were told again that another whose name was given as Olu Priye Oyeh was abducted in gastapo manner on 29th Friday. Another innocent boy that was sent to give food to them was also arrested and detained on the process. We have sent several lawyers to find out what happens but they were denied access to detainees by the SARS operatives.

“Sadly, Yesterday been 1st of July ,2019 another son of Ijaw, Mr Olu Derimo was kidnapped by unknown gunmen suspected to be SARS in the state.

“This informed the reason for this press conference. The lives of our people in Edo state are been endangered. This indiscriminate and unlawful arrests are uncalled for. This is the worse form of injustice and slavery. This is been orchestrated by Benin Monarch and police in Edo state using some Ijaw idiots as pointers. The persons arrest all together are now six in number.

“The Edo state assembly report on 30th Jan, 2013 does not says that Gelegelegbene community belongs to Benin. The report equally dismised the claims of Okao-Gelegele that Benin owns Gelegelegbene community and other Ijaw communities’ lands. The report affirmed that Ijaws are the predominant of Gelegelegbene community. This was a report after the purported 1983 supreme court judgement that only referred to a parcel of land in an unknown location of one imaginary Gelegele.

“We are aware that our people are been arrested, detained, humiliated, intimidated and harrassed unlawfully because of their strong opposition to Oba of Benin on an attempt to grab their land to build an estate. Gelegelegbene community and other Ijaw communities in Edo state belongs to Ijaw People ,and it is the right of the Ijaws of that territory to secure their lands. Our people never committed any crime for opposing Benin land grabbers.

“The current Oba of Benin cannot claim feign ingnorant over the existence of Ijaw kingdoms in Edo state, the Ijaws in Ovia local government had their Kings – the Pere of Olodiama and the Agadagba of Egbema. Pere of Olodiama is in the mid-Western State of Nigeria Gazette, No. 56, Vol. 10 dated 10th October 1973, State Traditional N.S.L.N. Volume 62 of 1973, the Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree, 1966, Iyekuselu District Council (Appointment of Chieftaincy Committee) Order, 1973 gave a legal backing to the Pere of Olodiama with his seat at Ikoro, in Olodiama Clan. The Agadagba of Egbema, the Bendel State Traditional Rulers and Chief Edict 1979, extraordinary Gazette No. 51 Vol. 16 of September 28, 1979 gave a legal teeth to the Agadagba of Egbema with four ruling communities.

“The police authorities and the general public should take notice of the above facts. They should not throw caution to the wind as the issue if not well handled ,it can explode and snowball.

“The police authorities in Edo state should have a rethink of their actions which is capable of breaking down of law and order in Edo state and Niger Delta at large. The police in Edo state for their best interest should stop collobration with the Benin Monarch to continue incarceration of our people namely, Comrade Daniel Ezekiel, Sam Ebiwana , Abiodun Peter Eda, Oil Priye Oyeh and Olu Deremo who are the bread winners of their respective families.

“This act of indescipline among police in Edo state must stop. The fundamental rights of our people are been trampled upon. According to the provision of 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as (amended). Chapter four of the 1999 constitution spelt out the fundemental rights of every citizen of this country. Our peoples right of personal liberty which is clearly stated in section 35 has been breached by their continues detention. In subsection 5( a) emphasises that no suspect shall be detained beyond one day especially when it falls within a radius of forty kilometres where there is a court of competent jurisdiction. But they have been unlawfully detained for over 6days despite there is a court of competent jurisdiction in Benin city.

“It may interest you to know that despite the level of accusation or suspicion against above persons they still have rights of fair hearing as stipulated by section 36. They should be brought to court if the Benin Monarch as anything against them and let them exercise their rights of fair hearing. They equally have freedom of expression and press as contained in section 39. If anyone in the course of exercising of his or her rights of expression and press commit libel, defamation, slander and verbal assault ,it does not amounts to any criminal breach of conduct. But you can demand for verbal redress or sue for legal redress which is a civil matter. It is wrong for police turning civil matters to criminal issues. This could be attributed to the poor educational background and training of many police in the country and a drastic step should be proffer to it ,as it is so embarrassing.

“Those we referred above have been in incarceration beyond the required time ,their freedom of movement has been infringed as spelt out in section 41by their continues detention. We are no longer comfortable with this brazen act of compromise on the part of Nigeria police force.

“The police has turned a lawless and very disorganized force. They acted uncoordinated. Nigerians live in fear of the police than common criminals. Nigerians police has becomes a threat to the survival of the ordinary Nigerian.

Imagine, Daniel Ezekiel wrote petition to the police at zone 5 and DSS ,the DSS refused to attend to the petition because the accused person is their friend. The same police was used by the accused person early last month to arrest Daniel Ezekiel while part of the matter is in the court and while investigation is ongoing against the accused person at zone5 on the other hand. This is shameful and disappointing.

“This happened because the centre police heads is wick, very political and can not inculcate proper discipline on the police. The Benin Monarch is not above the law. The police in Edo state should not allow their offices to be used by the Monarch against lawbiding citizens. This act of the police lawlessness has made us lost confidence on them, as they always choose to break law and order.

“On this backdrop we call on the inspector General of police ,IGP, AIG zone5, to prevailed on the Commissioner of police in Edo state to swing into action in a view of releasing all Ijaws unlawfully arrested mentioned above in the state without further delay for the interest of peace ,law and order in the state.”

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that news of the release of Comr. Daniel Ezikiel had also been reported to our news desk.