The crisis rocking many Rivers state communities is largely under reported – At the moment, silent killings, kidnappings, rape and house razing are taking place in some communities
More worrisome is that these communities are hugely under-policed, with the police command stating that it cannot do more than the resources available to it permit In this no-holding-back interview with NAIJ.com at his palace, Gideon Azubuike Wokocha, a paramount ruler in Okposi Community, Ogba/Ndoni/Egbema local government area (ONELGA), Rivers state, explains the beginning of the crisis and the roles played by political gladiators in the state in fuelling the crisis.
He also speaks on the way forward. Read the excerpt:
NAIJ.com: What can you tell us about the crisis rocking your community (Okposi)? Wokocha: Opkosi used to be one of the most peaceful communities in Rivers state until the later part of 2015. Cult activities had been going on but not as fierce as we now have it today. It was politics that created the highest tension in Rivers communities by taking cult rivalry to the highest point. These cult groups are made up of human beings and they have interest too. One cult group attached itself to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and another to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This is what created the problem we are having in Rivers communities.
It reached a state when they started destroying party properties. The group supporting PDP destroyed APC’s secretariat and cult group supporting APC destroyed the secretariat of the PDP. It got to a stage when one group appear to be stronger than the other. This is how the killings and burning of houses started. That was the beginning of everything. All efforts to invite the security agents failed. As I called them, the DPO was telling me he was in Port Harcourt. The JTF did not come till the cultists finished what they wanted to do. It was later after the crime that the police in Omoku came to verify damages and those killed. The commissioner of power under Rotimi Ameachi was killed then. NAIJ.com: Was Rotimi Ameachi still in the PDP at the time? Wokocha: He was already in APC when this crisis started. NAIJ.com: What happened thereafter? Wokocha: The cultists, who are members of the PDP, later called me demanding for N100 million ransoms for us to continue living in the community. I tried to plead with the caller but network was very bad and the call terminated. After that they continue ravaging the community; stealing, raping, burning houses until people all ran away from the community. I went to Omoku to see them and through some youths leaders I was able to see them. I pleaded with them to allow us to live. In the process they insisted that we us pay a ransom. So, I summoned the community and told them our right to life is under threat. The cultists had reduced the ransom to N20 million. The community agree to raise N1 million to plead with them to allow us live because security agents have all failed. A Paramount Ruler in another community was killed under the same circumstance because they fail to respond. His head was cut off. And so, to save our lives, we raised N1 million and the cultists received it and everywhere was calmed. But unknown to me, the APC cultists were planning to come and take their own ransom. Their reason was that Nyesom Wike came here when he was campaigning for office and I prayed for him as a Paramount Ruler. I would have done the same for the APC flag bearer. I didn’t know they were planning to attack us for receiving the flag bearer of the PDP. So, they now capitalised on the money we gave the PDP cultists and raised a petition against me and my chief before the then commissioner of police; that we raised money to sponsor cult group to enable them buy weapon. I was arrested, detained and later taken to prison yard. NAIJ.com: Was Ameachi still in office at the time of your arrest? Wokocha: No. Wike had taken over Government House when I was arrested but it was the APC people that made the arrangement. My chiefs and I slept in prison over that allegation. They threatened that I and my chiefs will die as prisoners. We were paraded like criminals. Our crime was that we made peace so that our people will not be killed by paying a ransom of N1 million to the PDP cultists. Thank God we came out of it. The court found out that what they alleged was not correct and we were released. That is the state we are. Everything is getting worse: the cult boys are now killing from one place to the other; communities have been deserted. The whole place is empty now. The few people you see around in the day you can’t see them in the night. They would have gone to the bush to hide. The few people you see around now are the bad boys. Three days ago (at the time of the interview) they burnt the house of one of my chiefs. READ ALSO: Rivers of blood: Amaechi, Wike and a history of violence (pictured) (Tony Ile, secretary to the Council of Chiefs, who was with him during the interview, was killed the following week. He was killed with his grandchild who was in the building with him when it was burned down). Tony Ile, now dead, showing our correspondent round the burnt building NAIJ.com: Are you satisfied with the security arrangement in these troubled communities? Wokocha: I am not at all. Initially, the police come once in a while to keep vigil but that doesn’t happen again. You only see them on major road. Even the soldiers have only taken possession of the house belonging to a cult leader who was declared wanted. Rather than going inside the communities to secure people they are spending time securing property of a cult leader while crime is taking place inside these communities. The cultists are ravaging everywhere now. They are out of control right now. They can commit one offence here and before you know it they are over there.
NAIJ.com: But sir, why is it so simple for many youths in these communities to join cult groups? What in your view is fuelling this trend? Wokocha: Like I said initially, this thing has political undertone; one group supporting this and another group supporting that. So, they have to recruit and almost all the boys now belong. Some of them were lured in with a promise of getting a job in oil companies for them. Some were forcefully initiated. One of the houses burnt by the cultists
NAIJ.com: Is this not a failure on the part of community leaders? Where were the leaders when all this began? Did they report to security agents? Wokocha: I don’t think the problem is grassroots leadership failure because leaders are flesh and blood too and there is need for them to be alive. I personally wrote to the present commissioner of police telling him what is happening here. They even acknowledged receipt of my letter but they didn’t respond to my call to discourse the way forward.
Up till now, I have not heard from any of them. The community leaders are doing their best but they have to stay alive to do that. When the cult groups were initiating new members at their respective camps, security agents could not go there. That is why I was surprised when Ameachi said he had gadgets where he detects the places the bad boys are; that the gadgets were destroyed by the current governor. I wanted to ask him where were the gadgets when his serving commissioner of power was kidnapped and spent over one week inside the bush and paid a ransom of N110 million?
Where were the gadgets when APC were doing rally under Ameachi at Rima with all the big people in APC including Senator Wilson Ake, commissioner of police, the chairman of a local government, and yet these bad boys sent a word across to the Ameachi-led team to give them N20 million if the rally must hold in that community? At the end, they sent somebody with N7 million to the bush. When the cultists found out the money were not complete they seized the messenger until Ameachi completed the money. Where were the gadgets when this happened? Was Ameachi not the governor then?
NAIJ.com: Both Governor Wike and his predecessor Ameachi many believe are fuelling the crisis in the state by engaging in unhealthy utterances as they verbally attack each other in the media. What do you make of these personality attacks? Wokocha: The problem of cultism and kidnapping got to its peak during the second tenure of Rotimi Ameachi. It appears to me that Ameachi left his responsibility and was shuttling Abuja; criticizing Goodluck Jonathan and realigning himself with Buhari. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that Wike was duly elected, Ameachi should respect that office. He should rather face his assignment as minister of transport and stop coming to Rivers state to incite the people against the governor. Celestine Omehia did not insult Ameachi like he is now doing to Governor Wike. It is not right for Ameachi to leave his office in Abuja and come to Rivers state to hurl insults on the chief executive of the state.
NAIJ.com: Who then is the person regarded as a father in Rivers state that both Ameachi and Wike must listen to? Wokocha: There is nobody in Rivers state that can call Ameachi to order unless the presidency decides to make peace by calling Ameachi and Wike to order. But within the state, I don’t think it is possible to talk to particularly Rotimi Ameachi because there is nobody he listens to in Rivers state. The leadership style of President Buhari is also not helping matter. Since the Supreme Court gave Wike electoral victory the president is yet to congratulate him. He is also yet to congratulate Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, since he was declared winner. This is direct opposite of former president, Goodluck Jonathan who traditional congratulates even opposition governors. READ ALSO: Panama Papers: Will Saraki, Mark lead the nation into chaos? President Buhari’s style is not a style of peace. He doesn’t show maturity and sportsmanship in politics. In this regard, President Buhari is not acting as a father to all. He is the only one I think Ameachi listen to now. NAIJ.COM: Are you saying in essence that the resolution of the Rivers’ crisis solely rests on President Buhari’s shoulders? Wokocha: Yes. The president has the power to resolve the crisis if only he can serve as father to all the warring parties. He may not need to come here. He can either send his team or call both Wike and Ameachi for a heart-to-heart meeting with the president in Abuja.
NAIJ.COM: Now, let’s talk about corruption amongst traditional rulers in the state because I understand it is part of the problem. Residents have complained to me about inequity perpetuated by royal fathers. What do you make of this allegation? Wokocha: I think last December, as a member of Council of Chiefs, ONELGA, I saw a lot of cows oil companies brought for the communities and they were distributed equitably. The one of scholarship is what they may say is not made public in Omoku. Agip Oil will be in better position to explain this. I cannot really speak more on that. But I know most of the chiefs benefit through award of contracts. I am also aware that the youths themselves go to Agip to present their demands until recently when youths’ activities were bound because of the crisis. They get scholarship and job opportunities from Agip by themselves. NAIJ.com: I am also sure you are aware of the allegation levelled against Agip Oil’s community relations department. It was alleged that the department instigates violence because it will get money from the company to resolve it. Is Agip Oil truly playing a role in the crisis rocking Omoku and neighbouring communities? Wokocha: For sure, most of these companies, not only Agip, instigate violence to profit their personal interest. But my concern is that our people are not knowledgeable enough. Otherwise, they would have themselves resists such instigation because at the end, they are the losers. Then on the other hand, these companies, they are not dealing with some communities directly; assuming they have some packages for them. What I mean is that if they have something to give, they ought to call all the stakeholders including the youths and let everybody see what is given. So, if they do this, there is no way anything missed.
The shrouded “advantage” of Nigeria’s dwindling economy That is the best thing to do. They should invite the chiefs, the CDCs (Communities Development Centre) and the youths and hand over whatever you want to give. It will get to the root in this format. But they don’t do that. They will rather call few people who may not account for the items. That is major a problem too. But in my domain here, when we get anything we try to make it open. NAIJ.COM: What then is your message to the federal government concerning this crisis?
Wokocha: The government should give these boys amnesty. They should engage them.
The FG can take them to the northeast where they are needed since they have so fortified themselves and are no longer afraid of both the police and soldiers. They will be useful in fighting against Boko Haram and to guard pipelines.
They have so equipped themselves that bullets cannot penetrate them. Now that the police are understaffed, these cultists can assist in fighting insurgents. I think the FG have started recruiting into the police. Let them take these cultists and send them to the northeast where they are needed.
Don’t leave them where they will be able to interrupt with their colleagues; scatter them all over the country. At a time we were burying someone who was killed and the cultists came and started shooting sporadically and killed 15 people in the process. The sincerity of the FG can contribute to the peaceful resolution the crisis.
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