IJAW GROUP RAISES ALARM, SAYS WANTED MILITANT HAS CACHE OF ARMS

YENEGOA, Bayelsa, Nigeria – A pan-Ijaw group, Peremabiri Development Association (PDA), on Sunday challenged dreaded ex-militant leader, Paul Eris also known as ‘General’ Ogunboss to come out from his hiding and seek the protection of the court if truly he is responsible for the series of crimes and killings in Bayelsa State.

The organisation also berated the All Progressives Congress (APC‎) for playing politics with the internal crisis in the community.

The PDA in a statement by its President, Chief Awolowo Wasiri; Secretary, Chief Profit Enoch and Publicity Secretary, Alfred Ikiomoye Olotu, was reacting to the alleged falsehood being dished out by ‎Ogunboss to the media from his den. The organisation said using the media to distract attention of the real issue will not save him from the long arm of the law.

The PDA described as lies, claim by Ogunboss that his mother’s house and other properties of his relatives were destroyed during the recent military exercise in Peremabiri, adding the rice farm he was laying claim to belongs to the Federal Government.

While absolving ‎the Bayelsa State Government of any blame in the military cleansing of their community, the PDA appealed to the Federal Government to go after Ogunboss and his gang as they have become cancer to them.

The group said that despite accepting the Federal Government’s amnesty programme, the ex-warlord “still has a large cache ‎of arms”, adding that until he is brought to justice, indigenes of Peremabiri community will still be living in fear.

Speaking on the arrest and prosecution of some persons from the community including the self-acclaimed Paramount Ruler, Wisdom Ogiri, the association asked Ogunboss to go and fulfill their bail conditions rather than resorting to sentiments.

The PDA said, “We have heard the lies and total falsehood of Ogunboss on radio. We make bold to say that what he is battling with now is about moral conscience. ‎Ogunboss does not own the rice farm in Peremabiri, that is a federal government project.

“He said he is a retired ‘General’, so let him go and sign the bail bond of those who are standing trial since the court said one of those to guarantee their bail should be a retired General. The federal government should not relent until he and his likes are completely flushed out.”

On the allegation that the Paramount Ruler, Chief Progress Never-Die is not an indigene of Peremabiri, the PDA wondered why Ogunboss and his cohorts are flying that now after he had previously served as a youth leader and CDC chairman.

The PDA also asked the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mind their business as the ongoing issue does not relate to politics, saying their promotion and celebration of evil is very repulsive.

The group also condemned one Sunday Oputu who they said has no business with Peremabiri as he is from Egbematoru.

The PDA challenged him to go ahead with his threat of suing the Nigerian Police for the baseless allegation ‎of unlawfully detaining well known impostors.

They called on the government, multi national companies and the general public to know that Chief Progress Never-Die remains their paramount ruler that has the due mandate of the people.
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