But for the leadership style of Gov Nyesom Wike, Rivers state would have been enmeshed in a messy ethnic crisis following the ENDSARS protest that rocked the state and other parts of the country. GODWIN EGBA reports.
October 2020 remains an unfortunately sad month for Nigerians over some mindless killings across the country resulting from the manipulated #ENDSARS peaceful protests. Scores of innocent, harmless protestors were allegedly killed at Lekki Toll Plaza by armed soldiers, 10 security operatives (six solders and four police men) were also killed in Oyigbo, Rivers state, among other cases in other states.
How Wike saved the situation
The Oyigbo gruesome incident would have snow-balled into an inter-ethnic conflicts between Igbo and Hausa ethnic groups in the state but for Governor Nyesom Wike’s stitch in time that saved nine, a proactive step that averted further bloodshed. Though he was not spared of accusation that he ordered the military to kill Igbos in Oyigbo, but he charged back to exonerate himself of such complicity.Rivers state, in a cosmopolitan oil-rich Niger–Delta region, prides itself as one of the most peaceful, congenial states to both local and international business communities. It is a state of over 5.6 million population that plays host to over 200 oil and gas-related majors.It is also the second largest commercial centre that receives tons of agricultural produce both farm produce and livestocks with majority from the northern and middle geographical parts of the country.Majority of these raw food traders are located in Oyigbo, Eleme-Onne-East-west axis, Port Harcourt city, Mile 1, Kaduna Fruits Garden Complex and Lagos Street Yam Zone, among other strategic locations. Oyigbo is one of the 23 local government areas that made up Rivers state and a boundary adjoining Abia state. Some strangers either visiting or residents are trading in one business or the other especially Hausas and other tribes.
The near-ethnic brawl
Blueprint finding shows that before the #EndSARS, both Hausas and Igbos resident in Oyigbo had maintained a long history of peaceful coexistence and relating with both Rivers men and women, including other ethnic groups.However, if not for divine intervention, that age-long peace would have been broken across the state in the month of October 2020 following the outbreak of violence that trailed the #EndSARs protests a cross the country.The state’s regrettable bitterness was the killing of six soldiers and four policemen. The build-up anger from the killing almost became an issue of ethnic groups in the area with a possibility of escalating to other parts of the state.It keeps Nigerians wondering that what started as a peaceful protest to end the unit of the police force called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) turned into a fire-stoke looting and killing by hired thugs.A similar scenario almost played out when the 10 security officers were killed in Oyigbo. Opinions from certain quarters believed that the killing in Oyigbo was carried out by some IPOB members while others in the IPOB fold accused Governor Wike of ordering military men to kill Igbos in Oyigbo.Initially, it seemed the state government, police and army authorities were trying their information management tactics to douse tension, but the governor demonstrated an act that one would regard as a stich in time that saves nine. Without risk of foot dragging, he promptly imposed curfew in Oyigbo business and residential community to forestall further break down of law and order.
Residents applaud Wike
A resident of the garden city who spoke with Blueprint raised concern that, “The truth some of us are grappling to reconcile is how come the governor who is the chief security officer of the state would be linked to the killing in Oyigbo.“From media report, we gathered that some members of IPOB carried out the killing in Oyigbo where they also burnt down some police station as well as destroyed a court building. You killed army and police and destroyed their property including a judiciary building; that act alone is despicable enough to re-event the Odi massacre in Bayelsa state during the regime of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo.“Governor Wike deserves commendation for dousing the tension from further escalation; else, inter-ethnic conflict would have reared its head in the state and possibly also in the northern parts of the country where we have uncountable Ibos and their families living doing one business or the other,” the source said.
A major oil marketer doing business with Port-Harcourt Refinery Company [PHRC] who pleaded anonymity noted that, “The best Governor Wike was expected to do at that boiling period was to ensure that he did not lose the grip of security of the state, which he has done and we the business promoters or investors in the state cannot afford to operate in a volatile entity as we witnessed during the Nigeria Civil War and the period that brazen kidnappings held sway in the Niger-Delta oil-rich religion,” he said.
Gov Wike defends move
The Governor in his commitment to lives and property in the state was on live television recently to extricate himself of any complicity relating to ordering of military to kill Igbos in Oyigbo, saying that the allegation was a politically-motivated falsehood.Wike admitted that no right thinking governor of a state woukd fold his hands and watch insecurity and criminality of any form hold sway; therefore, said he had to impose curfew in Oyigbo to restore calm after members of proscribed IPOB allegedly killed six soldiers and four policemen as well as destroyed police stations and court building there.He explained that, “The narrative that Igbos are being killed by the military is intended to shift attention from the despicable activities of IPOB in Oyigbo, which is a boundary area adjoining Abia state.”I know that this is not the first time IPOB has used Oyigbo as a launching ground. The security agencies are aware. IPOB added a new dimension this time. They killed five army officers and burnt one. They killed four policemen and destroyed their stations. What offence did we commit as a state?“I imposed curfew to restore calm. I proscribed IPOB activities anywhere in the state. Don’t forget that the federal government had declared them a terrorist group – Igbos that believes in IPOB activities.“So, it’s not true that I ordered the military to kill Igbos in Oyigbo. When did I become a friend to the military? So what about the Igbos living elsewhere in the state are they also being killed?”He further said, “I have no relationship with the army or the police; I do not command them. They change Commissioners of Police every time. How will I begin to direct the army that I do not give instruction to?”The governor bemoaned IPOB’s effrontery to rename a local government in the state and hoist its flag in a public school in Komkom town, insisting that, “I will not fold my arms and watch criminals destroy my state. If those few criminal are Igbos, then they should know that I will not allow them. They made attempt in my state, that alone is a signal. I will not agree to that. I know who is doing all these; who has told them to rise in protest against Wike.”The governor stated that the state government has no regret against its stance on IPOB, already designated as a terrorist organisation by the federal government. According to him, even the South-east governors have never supported IPOB and wondered why a governor from the Niger Delta should tolerate the group.He revealed that security agencies during their search of some residents in Oyigbo, saw shrines with IPOB flags and Nnamdi Kanu’s picture. He maintained that if IPOB is allowed to operate from Oyigbo, they would soon overrun the state.
