‘Why’re We Talking About Bandits When We’re The Enemy?’‐-Group Appeals To Ijaw Youths On Kidnapping

The leadership of the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has launched operation “Know your neighbour’ to fish out criminal elements in the ijaw communities and their sponsors.

MOSIEND stated that as a group, it is declaring war against any community in the region that is abating and shielding criminals who kidnap for ransom.

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It also called on the governors of the Niger Delta states to sit up and put a stop to incessant kidnappings in the area.

Speaking after an expanded stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa on Wednesday, the Vice President of MOSIEND, Comrade Thompson Fuoye, said kidnapping has become a thriving business for criminals in the region, saying it is acceptable to the group anymore.

”Just barely one month ago, the mother of the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government was kidnapped, a popular businessman was also kidnapped and even after paying ransom, they still went ahead to seize the wife and the aged father. What has our society turned into because of mischievous ways to get money?,” he asked.

Fuoye disclosed that all stakeholders have agreed to launch ” Operation Know Your Neighbours in the region”.

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He emphasized that this will be a movement that will be taken to every community in the region, adding that anyone who sees a neighbour that is living in affluence that is not commensurate with what their earning should raise the alarm while the security agents should get the person for questioning.

He reiterated that the criminals were becoming overbearing and must be stopped.

His words, “We will take the campaign everywhere. After the launch of “Operation Know Your Neighbour” in the region anybody living a lifestyle that doesn’t show what he does will be arrested and handed to the police for questioning. We get several calls from different families when these criminals operate and it’s so worrisome.

”We can’t continue to live in fear in our domain, threatened by our own brothers. While some of us are in Abuja tackling the federal government on how our people can have a sense of belonging, some people are in our villages kidnapping poor farmers in the name of business, to forcefully collect monies from their families. Isn’t that senseless of them? Then what is the essence of the liberation we are talking about? What justification do you have talking about bandits when we are enemies of ourselves?”

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