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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
A likely bloody clash looms between the Okpoama and Odioma communities of Brass Local Government areas of Bayelsa State over the ongoing trial census, following the issuance of eviction to indigenes of the Otokoloama fishing community by some armed youths, with the warning that they quit within 24 hours or face wanton killings.
The worried indigenes of Otokoloama fishing community, whose allegiance are with the Okpoama community, alleged that the armed youths that issued the notice are from Odioma community.
We gathered that armed youths, numbering about ten and armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and machetes, were alleged to have stormed the Otokoloama fishing community in a speedboat and warned the residents to quit in 24 hours.
A fisherman and resident Otokoloama community, who pleaded anonymity, told our reporter on telephone that despite the fact that the people of the settlement have living in the community since 1989, “the warning from the Odioma youths that we should vacate the area and claim of ownership is shocking.”
He claimed that the eviction notice was not strange, but “they came on Wednesday and started shooting into the air to show they mean business. They once came with an exercise book requesting that we write the names of the residents but we refused because when I came in 1989 it was the Okpoama people that gave me permission to live in the community. It was the threat that made us to leave immediately because we don’t know what they have planned.”
The resident called on the Police and the state government to come to their aid, adding that it would be a challenge to feed his wife and children.
A 52 year old woman, who also insisted on anonymity, said “when they came they asked her questions which she refused to answer. So they took her basin of fish and threw it into the river. They were about ten of them. One of them told me: “Tell those your Okpoama people that the day we meet them, there will be shootout.”
She said her sister has a 4-month old baby and in order not to endanger the life of the baby they left for Okpoama with the help of one of her other sisters who brought a canoe to carry her belongings.
Commenting on the development, the chairman, Okpoama Kingdom’s Chiefs Council, Chief Inikio Sam Sele Dede, described the alleged action of the Odioma youths as an attempt to truncate the existing peace in the area, adding that ”trial census was ongoing and Odioma youths were going round our communities chasing people away just to ensure that our population was reduced”.
“We know their fishing ports and they know ours. Our youths have not gone to their fishing settlements to cause trouble. We are too refined for that,” he said, adding that the matter has been reported to the police for further investigation and necessary action.
Chief Dede however called on the security agencies to ensure the residents go back and live their normal life in the midst of harsh economic realities.
It was gathered that an attempt by the Brass Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force, Oche Ochenika, to resolve the matter Friday failed because Odioma youths did not turn up citing youth election conducted earlier in the week.
