Insecurity: Angry Bayelsa Youths Send 28 Elders, Chiefs Into Exile For Attending Timipre Slyva’s Birthday Party

Aggrieved youths in the Opu-Nembe (Bassambiri) community in the Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have sent 28 elders and chiefs of the community into exile.

Naija News gathered that these 28 elders and chiefs of the Opu-Nembe (Bassambiri) community were sent into exile because they reportedly attended the birthday party of the former minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

According to the Youth Group, who confirmed the expulsion of the community elders, the so-called elders and chiefs of the community were less concerned about the rate of killings and attacks on innocent people in the area.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, the Vice President of the youth group, Nimibofa Collins, noted that the former minister had pledged to help in fishing out the culprits who have constantly attacked their community but failed to uphold his promise.

Therefore, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

However, in their reaction, the traditional chiefs under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Opu-Nembe, which include some of the expelled elders, have cried out about the action of the youth group.

The elders, at a press conference in Yengaoa, the Bayelsa state capital, said sending them into exile because they attended Slyva’s birthday party violated their rights of association.

The spokesman for the elders’ group, Monday Degi, blamed the Ayerite Ebinimi Moses-led leadership of a youth group for it, saying the relative peace and tranquillity that the community had enjoyed were disrupted when Ayerite Ebinimi Moses and his cohorts assumed leadership positions in May 2020.

Degi, in a statement, expressed displeasure that despite all the actions of the youth group, the chiefs’ council of the community has not taken any action against their alleged lawlessness.

He said, “The Mr. Ayerite Ebinimi Moses-led youths of Opu-Nembe are on the rampage, destroying and looting houses and personal properties of perceived and apparent ‘enemies.’ Since the inception of the Ayerite Ebinimi Moses youth leadership, the community is witnessing sporadic violence and endless social unrest, which has become phenomenal.

“Over twenty (20) houses and properties worth hundreds of millions have been vandalized in the community without provocation.

“The Executive of the chiefs’ council had failed to intervene in these issues until ‘alleged’ invasions occurred in July 2021 and February 2023.

“The most recent incident involved the driving into exile of 28 chiefs from Opu-Nembe (Bassambiri) who had attended the birthday party of Mr. Timipre Sylva, the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

“We cannot decipher the rationale for such a prerogative and bizarre act.

“The question is: when did such an act of celebrating with a son and brother on his birthday become a crime in Opu-Nembe and/or anywhere in the world? And the consequence of such is the loss of the right of citizenship or indigeneship of the Opu-Nembe (Bassambiri) Community.

“This is a flagrant violation of the constitutional provisions bordering on Freedom of Association and of Speech. We, the affected traditional chiefs and prominent people of the community, do not comprehend what section of the Nigerian Constitution vis-à-vis the constitution of the Opu-Nembe Council of Chiefs was violated by us regarding attending someone’s birthday party.

“We, therefore, would want to ask: on what premise and temerity the youth president and his cohorts are exercising the power to ostracize or exile us and our houses immediately invaded, vandalized, and property looted away?

“We are calling on relevant law enforcement agencies, such as the police, military (JTF), DSS, etc., to come to our aid and enthrone peace in the community. There should be a permanent occupation of military personnel in good numbers to forestall the further unleashing of mayhem, gangsterism, rape, and cultism by Mr. Ayerite Ebinimi Moses-led youth body on the innocent and law-abiding citizens of Opu-Nembe.”