Scores Risk Jail As Police Arrest, Prosecute Rioters In Bayelsa State

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa.

No fewer than 20 indigenes of the rioting  Otuasega and Yibama communities of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state risk being jailed as the Nigerian police, Bayelsa state command has prosecuted all those arrested during the recent inter-communal clashes that rocked the two communities.

Speaking to our correspondent in Yenagoa Tuesday,the chairman, community Development committee,CDC, Otuasega community, Mr Gbanibebi Igbuasi represented by the committee Scribe,Mr Isaah Mac-Namara said while efforts made to secure the arrested members of his community has proven abortive,a Yenagoa Magistrates court would be commencing hearing on the matter 22nd,January,2020 on the charges preferred by the Government against his people.

Meanwhile while attempts at hearing from the police and other Government agencies involved in the matter yielded no fruits before filing in this report further information made available to our sources say that amongst those arrested in the two communities are women,just as the sources revealed further that the police did not even spare the aged in their fuming of teargas especially at Otuasega community.

According to reports, while no less than 5 persons were arrested at Yibama,in Otuasega community there was an astronomical increase in the number of arrest made.

An eye witness account of the police raid leading to the arrest and Secretary,Otuasega community Youths executive,Mr Ezuzu Francis said that having been  victim of the arrest himself and other victims arrested suffered the worst from the Men and officers of the  Nigerian Police force who never heard him out upon telling them that he is serving Youth executive from the area.

Also speaking from Yibama community,their Youth vice president,Mr Gospel Yibadiangere insisted that whether arrest or no arrest what his community is demanding from the Otuasega people is to uncover those responsible for the murder of their indigene,Mr Stanley Owupele for justice to be done.

Mr Gospel reiterated that a few years ago when the duo communities where enmeshed in similar clashes which took the live of a native of Otuasega community,Yibama swung into action by producing the murderer for trial in the court of Law.

In the same vein the Otuasega community has again denied being responsible for the dead of the native of Yibama,saying the death of the said Owupele Stanley might come from old in-house fracas the Yibama people have amongst themselves.

You would recall that on the 2nd of January 2020, Yibama and Otuasega,two neighbouring communities of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state renewed old existing clashes which resulted to the death of one and scores sustaining various categories of injuries while others were arrested.