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By Amos Okioma, Yenagoa
Elders and leadership of the Adiegbe Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have accused six personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of alleged involvement in the killing of three youths of the community over involvement in illegal bunkering and oil theft.
According to the community, the accused NSCDC personnel, numbering six and attached to Tantita Security Services, handling the Bayelsa section of the Anti-crude oil theft contract awarded to the former militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, allegedly shot the three youths dead on October 28, 2022 under the purported “order of the coordinator of the company in Ekeremor Constituency 1, General Gowon Abenzi.”
The paramount ruler of the Adiegbe community, HRH Benedict Thompson, the chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), Comrade Anthony March and the secretary of the CDC, Teacher R. Fundudiegha told newsmen in Yenagoa that despite the peace initiative taken by the Bayelsa State coordinator of the Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited, Great Joshua Machiver, to calm frayed nerves, the community insisted that the six NSCDC personnel involved in the extra judicial killing of the three youths must be brought to book and face murder criminal.
The CDC chairman, Comrade Anthony March, whose younger brother also sustained fatal gun injury to the navel and later died in the hospital, identified the youths killed as Kato Sanuku, 27 years, Tebekemi Pakemi, 35 years and Comboye March, 37 years, adding that “the tragedy started with the claim by the coordinator of the company in Ekeremor Constituency 1, General Gowon Abenzi that one Dimiere alias DJ was arrested in Tuomo in Delta State over charges of alleged involvement in bunkering.
“The attempt to settle the matter failed as the Tantita boys insisted that they must get other youths involved.
“The arrested DJ was tied and brought to the Adiegbe community in a boat due to the ravaging flood. Leaders and indigenes of the community attempts to settle the issue was rebuffed. At about 5pm, the youths being sought returned to the community and demanded that the arrested DJ be released. Gowon Abenzi and his boys refused and it degenerated into a scuffle. While they attempted to whisk away DJ, the youths held unto the rope of their boat and Gowon Abenzi ordered that they be shot.”
The secretary of the CDC, Teacher R. Fundudiegha also pointed out that though one of the NSCDC personnel declined to carry out the order, “but Gowon Abenzi struggled the gun with the personnel. In the process, the arrested DJ escaped from the boat and they opened fire on the youths and DJ; at the end, one of the Adiegbe indigene, who is working with Tantita, Comboye March, sustained a fatal injury and died. Two other youths died.”
He said the incident, which was reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters at Aliebiri community and their corpse were deposited at the General Hospital in Bomadi.
The paramount ruler of the Adiegbe community, HRH Benedict Thompson, in his position, called on the NSCDC and the Department of State Security (DSS) to investigate the case of extra-judicial killing and bring to book the killers of their sons, adding that ”the community is angry and demanding that so-called General Benzi and the six NSCDC personnel should be brought to justice to avoid bloodshed in Ekeremor Local Government council.”
