BAYELSA: Bilabiri Communities Cry For Help Over Rising Insecurity
2 min read
by Our Correspondent
Following thehe recent attack of Bilabiri l & ll communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area in Bayelsa State by unknown gunmen, natives have called on the state and federal governments to come to their aid.
The Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman, Bilabiri 1 community Coastline Settlement, Mr David Bazigha, made the call in an interview in Yenagoa on Saturday, April 3rd.
Bazigha said the call is necessitated by the rise in criminal activities in the area which has led to the death of a former Council Boss.
According to him; “We are appealing to the State and federal governments to salvage the Bilabiri Kingdom from criminal elements holding sway in the area and attacking residents.
“We lost the former Chairman, Aliebiri Rural Development Authourity, Bilabiri Hon Frank Seide and two others and this led to the entire settlement taking refuge elsewhere leaving the area desolate.
“The community leadership as we speak are all in exile and the criminals have chased residents away while they engage in their nefarious activities, that is why we are sending a distrss call to government.
“We had raised concerns earlier on the activities of these miscreants in a letter the CDC Chairmen of Bilabiri 1 and 2 Communities wrote alongside the monarchs to security agencies dated March 19.
“We had appealed to the security agencies to wade in and sanitize the area by helping us flush out these undesirable elements amongst us, but things have degenerated.
“The loss of lives would have been prevented and now those of us who championed to end criminality have become their targets and we have to flee.”
In a letter, the community leadership wrote earlier, it appealed to the Joint Task Force deployed to protect oil facilities in the Niger Delta to deploy its surveillance boats to the area to fish out miscreants.
The letter stated that the community leadership had resolved to rid the area of pirates, militants, oil thieves and kidnappers who brought the name of the area to disrepute.
It added that the development was an expression of the people to support the government’s efforts at maintaining a peaceful atmosphere for legitimate economic activities.
When contacted for reaction on the development, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Asinim Butwat said he was awaiting details on the incident.
While the JTF Headquarters in Yenagoa said that only the Defense Headquarters has the mandate to comment on their operations.
