Gelegele: Benin youths dare ljaw freedom fighters

The Benin youths under the umbrella of Benin Fundamental Movement have warned the Ijaw Freedom Fighters to desist from their sacrilegious threat to the traditional institution of Benin Kingdom, saying it is a joke of the 21st Century.

In a press statement issued by Comrade Edosa Idada, Convener, Benin Fundamental Movement, the group said it is instructive to note that the Benins are proudly the most hospitable and receptive socio-ethnic group in sub-Sahara Africa and so have continued to accommodate the Ijaws particularly as customary tenants.

He, however, said that the hurried and illegal creation of a so-called Olodiama Kingdom with a coronation of a Pere, the 21-day ultimatum slammed on the Oba of Benin and the Edo State Government, the threat to lay siege on the Palace of the Omo n’Oba and the Edo State Government House are steps taken too far, condemnable and must be visited with commensurate punishment and stiff resistance.

While reminding the Ijaws of their criminal activities of kidnapping of prominent Benin persons, Comrade Idada said it is rather unfortunate that persons who were given opportunity to occupy an area for work and business now claim ownership of same.

“Ijaws in Benin are customary tenants, they must remain as such or relocate to their land; we wish to send a very strong warning to the Ijaws to desist from this war and calamitous situation they are about to bring upon themselves; they do not have the monopoly of violence”.

The press statement reads in parts: ” Our attention has been drawn to a Vanguard newspaper publication of Dec. 8th, 2017, purportedly signed by so-called “Commanders” Keme Boudiwei and Seimokoromor Anthony at an emergency meeting held in Rivers State demanding an unreserved apology from the Edo State Government and the highly revered Oba of Benin over their non-recognition of a so-called Olodiama Kingdom with a pseudo King Pere of Olodiama; the Oba of Benin and the Edo State Government are principal custodians of Benin City and Edo State, the land and people; any other Kingdom within Benin with a declared King is non-existent, illegal, falacious, persona non grata and a subject of arrest.

“First of all, the Ijaws may have to be reminded of UWAIS J.S.C. writ of summons taken out of the 9th June, 1970 from former Mid-Western State High Court, Benin that affirmed the earlier decision of an Appeal Court Judgement vesting ownership of Gelegele in Benin Kingdom to the Benins; secondly, by fiat, by heavenly and earthly authority, global and legal recognition, there is only one (1) Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare N’Ogidigan II, he is the supreme Oba of the traditional Benin Kingdom and the head of all traditional rulers in Edo State, any attempt by persons or groups to create a Kingdom within the Benin Kingdom, is not only illegal, it is sacrilegious, treacherous, anti-people and a deliberate invitation of the wrath of God and our ancestors to self; Benins/Edos must rise up in unison to resist this bad blood in the name of Ijaw nation.

“We respectfully call on the President Muhammadu Buhari, the State Governors and the international community to quickly prevail on the Ijaw people as any spark of fire by the Ijaws is capable of leading to a national disaster as the Benins will retaliate appropriately; our people are very agitative and they are waiting in the wings for a marching order and once this order is given, nothing can reverse it; we understand the fact that there are certain Ijaws who are natural peacemakers and as a result will not join the troublemakers to heat up the polity, our advice for you is to dissociate yourselves from this treachery, so as not to fall victims of unfortunate circumstances.

“Be warned; we will no longer tolerate any act of insubordination and deliberate embarrassment on the Edo State Government and the Oba of Benin by Ijaw people as we have concluded a coordinated arrangement to sack all Ijaws known and unknown from Edo State in general and Benin City in particular; however, we most particularly implore Ijaw leaders to call the so-called Ijaw Freedom Fighters to order, we are not unaware of organised kidnappings by this faceless group and other anti-people elements within the Ijaw fold, for which if not desisted from, we will be left with no choice than to fight back”.

Titus Akhigbe,Benin