Niger Delta monarch denies military invasion

macfranc007 December 28, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Adeola Opeyemi

- The monarch of Ikebiri Community has denied reports that soldiers invaded the community

- He said the report was an attempt to instigate crisis between youths and military in the area

- He explained that he merely hosted a military patrol team that was on routine patrol duties on December 15

Francis Ododo Timi, the Paramount Ruler in Ikebiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Wednesday described reports that the area was invaded by soldiers on December 15 by gun boats as false and misleading.

Ododo Timi, Ike IIX, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the erroneous report was an attempt to instigate crisis between youths in the Niger Delta region and the military high command.

He added that the people behind the false rumour wanted to cause fresh crisis in the area.

The monarch said Ikebiri Kingdom, comprising Ikebiri one, two and three communities, had been very peaceful and that at no time was it attacked by military personnel.

He explained that he merely hosted a military patrol team that was on routine patrol duties on Dec. 15.

He said that the patrol team witnessed an inter-church swimming competition and canoe race which took place under a relaxed atmosphere.

The traditional ruler said that a Community Development Committee (CDC) chairmanship election in the community was peaceful.

He said the CDC Chairmanship position was being rotated among the different families that made up the community under a zoning system.

He added that the zoning system was rancour free and wondered why one of the candidates would resort to misinforming the public.

The royal father expressed regret that the false report could trigger violent reactions from stakeholders in the region.

“To the best of my knowledge, that fateful day I hosted some military personnel. Thank God that that day coincided with the remembrance of my late father, who died on 15th of December 1997.

“When the military personnel came in there was a competition among churches because my father was head of the church.

“Swimming and canoe race were going on, while all the churches in the community participated. The military personnel were equally entertained with those exciting water sport events.

“I personally informed the military personnel that a family was trying to hold a meeting and that it would be good to have them around.

“So the military personnel agreed and stayed and at the end of all the events, there was no iota of violence in the community.

“Even after the meeting there was a football match among the churches that took place from 4 to 6p.m.,” the royal father said.

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He said that while Mr Abiola Ayakoroama emerged as a consensus candidate after the meeting, an aggrieved aspirant for the CDC chairmanship position raised a false alarm that soldiers invaded the community.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a Nigerian army colonel was killed by some gunmen in Benue state.

The colonel was on transit along the Kastina-Ala-Takum Expressway on Sunday, December 17, when the incident occurred.

Sources said the senior military officer was travelling from Lagos to Takum in Taraba state when he was killed on Sattii Agrigi Road.

Southern Kaduna killings: part 1 - on NAIJ.com TV