<\/p>\n
Tension is once again rising between Ijaw and Itsekiri tribes in Delta<\/p>\n
State as a result of the bombing campaign of the\u00a0 Niger Delta Avengers<\/p>\n
(NDA).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Specifically, an Itsekiri Chief, Emami Ayiri, has repeatedly accused his<\/p>\n
Ijaw brothers of being the masterminds of the unabated bombings of oil and<\/p>\n
gas facilities in the region, urging the federal government not to<\/p>\n
negotiate with the militants.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But an Ijaw chief, Patrick Bigha has advised the Warri Monarch, Ikenwoli 1<\/p>\n
to caution his subjects “as the attitudes of some of his subjects are so<\/p>\n
provocative in recent times that it may lead to another Warri crisis.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
” Some Itsekiri people such as Ayiri Emami\u2019s wish is that the Ijaw people<\/p>\n
especially those from Warri should not live. That is why Ayiri Emami want<\/p>\n
Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) dead at all cost. Some Itsekiris<\/p>\n
have pathological hatred for Ijaws. Government must not allow their<\/p>\n
agencies and officers to carry out an ethnic agenda by Itsekiris against<\/p>\n
Ijaw people\u2019\u2019, he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He added:\u2018\u2019If he cannot call such rampaging subjects to order in the<\/p>\n
public, then it will be construed to mean that he is behind them, and this<\/p>\n
will not do us any good. We are aware that the Itsekiris are ready to<\/p>\n
fight the Ijaws of Warri with their statements and actions as regard the<\/p>\n
activities of the Niger Delta Avengers.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He has equally refuted allegations by the Itsekiri people that the attacks<\/p>\n
being carried out by rampaging militants are being sponsored by them,<\/p>\n
describing the allegations as false and deliberately made to malign the<\/p>\n
Ijaw people in furtherance of the Itsekiri aged long hatred against them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chief Bigha who is the Chairman, Warri Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group<\/p>\n
(WIPMG), while reacting to the allegations against the Ijaw people in<\/p>\n
Warri, advised his kinsmen to shun provocative and inciting statements for<\/p>\n
the sake of peace.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
His words:”The Itsekiri people are deliberately inciting the Federal<\/p>\n
Government against the Ijaw people so that government would bomb and kill<\/p>\n
innocent Ijaw people and communities.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“We wish to state clearly that the Ijaw people have no business or<\/p>\n
connection with the Niger Delta Avengers. This position has consistently<\/p>\n
been stated by different Ijaw groups and personalities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2019It is not true as claimed by the Itsekiri people that the attacks are<\/p>\n
been carried out in Itsekiri territory. The obvious truth is that the Ijaw<\/p>\n
people of Warri especially Gbaramatu, Egbema, Ogbe-Ijoh, Diebiri Clans and<\/p>\n
the Ijaws of Ogulagha in Burutu Local Government Area are the greatest<\/p>\n
victims of the Avengers attacks. Nearly all the attacks have taken place<\/p>\n
within Ijaw territories. The Itsekiri claim to territory is baseless” he<\/p>\n
wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“The Itsekiri claim is an elongation of their land grabbing nature. It is<\/p>\n
shocking and shameful that the Itsekiri people even persist in their land<\/p>\n
grabbing attitude even in matters of attack on oil facilities and<\/p>\n
frivolous.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tension is once again rising between Ijaw and Itsekiri tribes in Delta State as a result of the bombing campaign of the\u00a0 Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). Specifically, an…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n