The killing of over 4 persons in the largest fishing settlement in the west Africa, Oyorokoto by unknown gunmen recently would be the final occurrence of such heinous act, as the Andoni Local Government Council in collaboration with the residents of Oyorokoto Community in the Andoni Local Government Area have resolved to station a unit of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the area to aid in combating the menace of cultism and other related crimes both on land and sea.
The decision was reached last Wednesday during an interactive meeting with the residents of Oyorokoto, held at the kpokpoben Secretariat. The Chairman Caretaker Committee, Elder Sampson Gilbert Egop who assured residents of providing adequate security in the area, and sympathizing with them noting that Security is everybody’s business and all hands must be on deck by cooperating with security agencies to achieve a safe and peaceful Oyorokoto.
Elder Egop who warned the residents against harbouring hoodlums in the community, told residents to provide useful information that would enhance possible track down of the hoodlums, and appealed to them to return to their respective business as the JTF stationed at Ngo would be on ground to provide security pending the application, approval and dispatch of a new unit to the area.
Earlier, the people of Oyorokoto had while welcoming the Chairman narrated their ordeal which led several residents to flee the area for their safety.
First to speak was the head of Oyorokoto community, Chief Abbey Green who recalled similar incidents in the area but said was never devastating as that of June 27th attack where several residents including innocent beings were killed and businesses paralyzed.
Chief Green like his counterparts appealed for the Military Presence in the Community.
Corroborating Chief Green’s opinion on Military presence, Mr. Nte Nte of IbotOkpon Mbaba—Oyorokoto noted that hunger and sickness such as hypertension has been inflicted on the residents as economic activities were grounded. He described the situation as pathetic and appealed for government’s assistance in providing relief materials to them.
Mr. Otuene Rowland and Mr. Gashion Cleopas representing Agana Oyorokoto and Ama-Nsan respectively had also identified the menace as one that could not be tackled without Military presence adding that the incidence was an ugly one, but Mr. Gashion threw in more light on the issue when he noted that the perpetrators of the evil act are children from the area known to all, and appealed for drastic measures to arrest subsequent occurrences.
In there separate contributions, Mohammed Madid representing the Hausa group, Prince Olatunji Laris of the Yoruba group and Mr. Rokeek John had equally threw their weight behind the operation of the Military not only in the Community but also on the water ways, describing the situation as worrisome even as it was rumuored that the next plan of the hoodlums was to burn down the Community.
According to the trio Oyorokoto is a Community harbouring people from all walks of life not only the Andonis, but if Oyorokoto is gone, Obolo means of survival is at stake since fishing is a major occupation of greater percentage of the people.
But Olatunji Laris took a divergent view when he described the attack as insecurity against non indigenes particularly the Yorubas, who are subjected to weekly torture and daily tax payment by militant group. ###
