–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA):
Press Statement of the Isoko Association of North America (IANA) on the Ambush and Brutal killing of farmers from Oleh on 10/16/2020
The Isoko Association of North America (IANA) is shocked to learn about the ambush and savage murder of 9 (may be more), Isoko men, women and children by some criminal elements over a disputed piece of land along Oleh-Ozoro Road. Our hearts are heavy and grief stricken as we mourn the dead. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this demonic and evil act.
We strongly condemn this barbaric and senseless killings and call for a swift and thorough investigation of this heinous crime. All the conspirators and perpetrators of this crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That will be a great first step to mitigate the justifiable anger in the land. We condemn the inflammatory and violent language of some faceless subhuman on Facebook leading up to the ambush and brutal slaying of these innocent citizens of Oleh community.
We want to call on the leaders and traditional fathers of Oleh and Ozoro to continue to appeal for peace and patience so as not to seek vengeance and escalate the situation. We plead for restrain and urge the people of Oleh community to reject and resist any lure to vengeance. War will be a no win proposition in the land. An eye for an eye will soon leave our entire communities a land of the blind!
We call on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Delta state commissioner of Police to take the necessary steps to ensure that the situation does not escalate and work to bring all accomplices and bad actors to justice. We plead with the Governor and all law enforcement officers to go the extra mile to bring enduring peace to Oleh and Ozoro communities and indeed all the other Isoko communities with lingering land disputes.
We appeal to the law abiding citizens of Oleh and Ozoro communities to reject any attempt by any persons to lure them into any acts of violence either physically or incite violence on social media. Such acts could and will be used against you in a court of law. We urge citizens to observe and respect the curfew currently in place by the police command in the area for your safety and that of others in the community.
We commend the role of the Royal fathers, HRM Anthony William Ovrawah, Omoghai 1 of Oleh Kingdom and the Ovie of Ozoro Kingdom, HRM Anthony Uvietobore Ogbogbo, Ibuka 1 in unequivocally calling for calm.
We stand firmly against violence in any part of Isoko land! We are one people, united in one homeland-the Isoko nation! How can we confront and tackle the common problems that we face if we are not united and living peacefully with one another as neighbors? We have bigger issues of floods, diseases and pandemics, lack of economic development, high youth unemployment, poverty, ill-equipped colleges and hospitals, lack of electricity, lack of clean drinking water, bad roads, and environmental pollution. The list goes on! How do we solve these problems if we continue to kill each other? We should stay strongly united as one people to confront the bigger threats that we face, even more so as a minority of minorities in Nigeria. This barbaric acts must stop now.
Let us pray for our homeland and the families of the victims. May their gentle souls rest in perfect peace!
Signed:
Chief Obaro W. Odu
President-General, Isoko Association of North America-IANA
Prof. Oghenekome Onokpise
Secretary-General, Isoko Association of North America-IANA
