The Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide has denied
reports that the Ijaws were behind the violent
attacks on communities in Lagos and Ogun
States by militants.
The group said those ascribing such
criminalities to Ijaws were doing so to cause
ethnic war between Ijaw and their Yoruba
neighbours.
The President, IYC, Mr Udengs Eradiri, at a
press conference in Yenagoa on Thursday asked
the security agencies to flush out the
perpetrators of Lagos violence and stop
making public statements that could create
ethnic tension.
Eradiri said, “There are some groups in Lagos
engaged in criminal activities and those
activities are now threatening the brotherly
relationship our people have enjoyed in Lagos.
“First, Nigeria should stop ascribing anything
that happens in the Niger Delta to Ijaw people.
For the avoidance of doubt, Niger Delta
Avengers are not Ijaw people. I am tired of
answering questions about Niger Delta
Avengers.
“I am the President of the Ijaw Youth Council. I
am not the President of NDA. NDA people are
not Ijaw people. We don’t know who Niger
Delta Avengers are. If the security agencies
know Avengers, they should arrest them. They
should do their jobs.
“They should stop transferring their jobs to
community leaders or youth organisations or
leaders of ethnic nationalities. Their duty is to
maintain law and order, to gather intelligence
and do whatever they deem fit to ensure that
there is peace in the country.
“Please, stop ascribing negative things to Ijaw
people. We are the fourth largest ethnic
nationalities in Nigeria and I agree that we are
the people who refuse to eat sand and call it
food. But that does not mean that every little
thing that happens in the region will be
ascribed to Ijaw people.”
Eradiri said attacks on Lagos communities had
assumed a worrisome dimension.
He noted that all the criminal activities in
communities hosting the Arepo Atlas Cove
pipelines in Lagos and Ogun States were being
perpetrated by thieves who were out to enrich
themselves.
The IYC boss said there were widespread
economic crimes along pipelines in the
country, insisting that the Lagos scenario
involved people from all the ethnic groups.
“So, Nigerians should stop ascribing it to Ijaw
people. Ijaw people are peace-loving people.
For over hundreds of years, our people have
cohabited with other ethnic nationalities. We
have never been known to be hostile people.
