A group, Bayelsans for Accountability and Good Governance (BAGG) have written to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun Ph.D, NPM, and other security agencies, calling for an immediate investigation and arrest of the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and APC Governorship candidate in the State, Chief Timipre Sylva and his deputy Joshau Machiver over the armed invasion of Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state by armed security personnel.
According to the group, despite the protests and allegations against Joshua Machiver for attempting to violently install a new paramount ruler in the community, preliminary investigations showed that the use of military gun boats and security personnel attached to the pipeline surveillance firm, Tantita Security Services Limited, were allegedly involved in the armed invasion of Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
The BAGG, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Spokesman, Comrade Pere Solomon, also accused the Former Minister of State for Petroleum and APC Governorship candidate in the State, Chief Timipre Sylva over alleged involvement in the attack in Igbomotoru community, claiming that the armed invasion was an alleged evil act against those opposed to his failed election bid on November 11th 2023.
Comrade Pere Solomon said the BAGG are solidly behind the position of the Traditional Ruler, Elders, Youth leadership and women of the Igbomotoru community, and across the state against the covert and armed attempt to subvert law and order in the community. “We back the community in its claim that Joshua MacIver, is the alleged mastermind of the armed invasion to oppress them and to also install one Friday Jonathan, who had been rejected as paramount ruler of the community.”
The BAGG also called on the State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, the Comptroller-General of Prisons Service and the Attorney-General of the Federation to review the controversy surrounding the Kaduna jail break of Joshua Machiver in 2006 and send him back to prison custody to serve out his 10 years prison time for alleged terrorism and sea piracy, “because he has become a security threat to the people of Igbomotoru community, Bayelsa state, and the nation in general.”
“This is among the reasons why the Former President, Goodluck Jonathan said that he would have taken his mother out of Bayelsa state to Abuja if the PDP had lost the state during the November 11th 2023 Bayelsa state Governorship election.”
“We also confirm that the community, which had been peaceful before and after the outcome of the election, is gradually being thrown into crisis which may result in bloodshed if those involved are not cautioned and arrested. We call on the federal and state governments to check the activities of Tantita Security, Chief Timipre Sylva and Joshua MacIver in order to promote dialogue and avoid bloodbath in the state, because neither Tantita Security personnel, Chief Timipre Sylva, and Joshua MacIver has a monopoly on violence and armed struggle.”
“While we call on Governor Douye Diri not to allow Sylva and Machiver to replicate the bloodshed visited upon Nembe-Bassambiri people on Igbomotoru community, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff should check these rising security breaches, including the destruction of lives and property to quell rising tensions across the state.”
“The top echelon of the security agencies should order for an investigation into the allegations that some staff of Tantita Security Services in September 2023, while patrolling the rivers in gunboats, invaded Okpotuwari, a community in the area, where it allegedly caused mayhem, fear, and destruction of lives and property”.
“Elections have come and gone, and we have a mandate to protect lives and property in Southern Ijaw LGA, and as such politicians plotting political vendetta should be reminded that nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to toy with the peace existing in the LGA. We call once again for the security agencies to act swiftly and diligently to protect lives and properties in Southern Ijaw,” he said.