Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says the state’s security council will meet to review the situation in Oyigbo Local Government Area where suspected members of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) killed ten security agents and burnt court buildings.
According to a Monday night statement signed by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, the Rivers governor stated this when he met leaders of Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities living in the state at Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
Wike dismissed insinuation that he ordered soldiers to kill Igbos in Oyigbo amidst the curfew imposed by the security council.
This is just as the governor reinstated the commitment of his administration to protect life and property of everybody in the state.
“It is not correct that soldiers are going from house to house to kill. When the IPOB killed the Army officers, they took their guns. It is normal for them to recover those guns. In any case, there are consequences when soldiers are killed. Maybe they are retaliating in order to rebuild the morale of other soldiers. How can I now have such powers to order soldiers on any operation?
“Now, you carry propaganda that Wike is killing Igbos (in Oyigbo). They live everywhere in the state. So, am I also killing them elsewhere? No tribe gave us the kind of support Igbos gave to me, but that does not mean we should allow IPOB to destroy the state.”
He explained that the Security Council was compelled to impose curfew in Oyigbo to prevent further loss of life and property.
Wike maintained he could not have ordered any offensive action against Oyigbo, which is where the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in the state hails from.
The governor declared that it would be absurd for IPOB to assume the role of speaking for the Igbos when there are credible and outstanding people who can speak for them.
To this end, he warned against allowing IPOB to continue misrepresenting the Igbos ethnic nationality.
“Let IPOB not give Igbos bad name. Any people that allow a criminal to speak for them, that tribe is finished,” he stated.
He charged residents of the state appalled by the nefarious activities of IPOB, to resist the group and whatever it stands for.
Explaining why curfew was imposed in the Ikokwu area of Port Harcourt, the governor said the state security council took the decision following intelligence report that Ikokwu plays host to a lot of IPOB cells in the state capital.
He described the recent clash between Hausas and Igbos following IPOB instigated attacks against the former as unfortunate.
The governor said while government was creating conducive environment that would promote business, social and cultural life of residents, they must also learn to live together without causing trouble.
“Any decision we take is for the good of everybody. It is not against any tribe. We have lived peacefully with people from other tribes. So stop fighting yourselves and creating the impression that there is war here. Don’t also make disagreements between business partners appear as tribal war. Allow them to settle the matter as businessmen.
“There is need for all of us to live in peace. From today, I don’t want to hear Igbo fighting Hausa. If there is any trouble, there is no need to take laws into your hands. Report the matter to us and we will address it, ” he said.
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