Banner Online News

Placard carrying members of Issele-Azagba at the press conference.

Obi of Issele-Azagba, Agbogidi Obi Francis Jideuwa Ijei.

“There’s a place in the Issele-Azagba bush that has been forcefully occupied and filled with cattle by herdsmen, and they are we armed. It is Issele-Azagba land and now no member of the community dares to go there for fear of being killed.”

The foregoing was the response to a journalist’s question by Comrade Ogegbu Edozie, President General, Issele-Azagba Youth during a press conference today, March 7, 2020, in the sleepy but troubled town as they contend with the problem of insecurity in the Aniocha North Local Government community of Delta State.
Issele-Azagba community leaders that addressed the press conference.

The press conference was called by the community leaders to call attention of the Federal, State and Governments and the world in general about the overwhelming problem of insecurity being experienced by the people since October 2019. In all, now fewer than for such attacks of killings, kidnap and payment of ransom, rape of women and the destruction of farm produce has continued unabated caused by armed bandits.

At the press conference attended by the monarch of the town, His Royal Majesty, Agbogidi Obi Francis Ijei, the Ogbelani of Issele-Azagba, Chief Christian Uwandulu, the President General, Issele Azagba Development Union, Mr.Bennet Illoh, Vice chairman, Aniocha North Local Government Council, Mr. Tobechukwu Uwamedua, Comrade Ogegbu Edozie and Secretary, Obi-in-council, Mr. Louis Ndoh, the community leaders complained frightfully about the attacks on the community has has made life and property insecure.
A cross section of Issele-Azagba community memebers at the press conference.

Mr, Illoh raised alarm that there were three attacks on the community with three weeks, in one of them, one man was killed in his house, his wife abducted and the baby shot in the hand. “A ransom was paid and the woman was released.

On February 6, 2020, another attack was carried out in which one Sebastian was killed in his house. On March 4th, 2020 another attack came that was one too many. Both Mr. Illoh and the President General of the Youth Association who addressed the journalists acknowledged that both the state government and the security agencies have been doing their best and that there is police patrol presence in the town, but that the people are troubled by the frequency of the attacks. “The hoodlum have decided to take this place as their refuge and do whatever they do,” Illoh said.

Answering questions from journalists, Comrade Edozie lamented that never in the history of Issele-Azagba has the community experienced the attack assault on the community that has kept the people to live in fear. He criticized the system in Nigeria where the president is expected to secure and protect the people. “How can Federal Government secure us from Abuja in Issele-Azagba. And the attackers come to make our women become widows and husbands widowers. It is a national calamity,’ Edozie said.

He continued: “We have reported the forceful take over of our land by herdsmen to the police. This is a failure of government; the government at all levels have failed to protect the people. People who were abducted interacted with their kidnappers and they know their abductors by the language they speak whil in the kidnappers’ den.and so they are able to tell who their kidnappers are.”

Pleading for the government to come urgently to the rescue, Comrade Edozie said that the situation is now such that it is us versus Killers herdsmen and criminals.
Some of the placards carried by the people read: “We cannot walk free in Issele-AZAGBA;” “It is the responsibility of government to protect life and property; Government of Delta State protect the people of Issele-Azagba;” “The activities of herdsmen must stop, Okowa must respond to us.” “Okowa! Okowa! Okowa! Issele-Azagba is calling for help. Bandits have taken over our community.” “Our wives not safe, husbands not safe, children not safe, teachers not safe, properties not safe, crops not safe.”

Other placards also read: “Herdsmen attack is becoming something else in Issele-Azagba”; Enough of killings in our beloved town, Issele-Azagba”.