We're not part of October 1 protest- INC

The foremost sociocultural body in Ijaw Land, Ijaw National Congress, INC, yesterday, disassociated itself from participating in the October 1, 2024 national protest.

The INC made its position known on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new exco of Abuja INC Chapter led by Daniel Tonibor, by the National President, INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba while speaking on the plight of the Ijaw people over the years in the Nigerian nation, which Okaba asserted that they have been oppressed by the nation and government.

The INC President represented by the National Financial Secretary, INC, and the Amananaowei of Agbere Community in Sagbama Local Government, Bayelsa, His Royal Highness, HRH, Kennedy Odiowei, said INC don't even know the organisers of the protest, and such people cannot speak for the Ijaw people.

He said: "The national protest coming up on October 1, 2024, the Ijaw Nation has its own problems we are oppressed by the Nigerian State and government, we know that and people cannot determine our future for us.

"For the protest we as INC have not taken any sides. If we want to make our demands, statements, protest, we will sit down as Ijaw people, look into the issues, come out to say we are doing this or that but right now we as INC are not part of the protest because people cannot come and plan for us, we don't even know who are the people planning the protest, so for now we are not part of that protest."

Meanwhile, on the recent gruesome killing of about five people at Abuloma Clan, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State by unidentified gunmen who attacked a venue where Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, was having its election, the INC President alleged it politically motivated with the motive to destabilize the unity of the Ijaws in Rivers State.

He said: "The incident that happened in Abuloma, Rivers State, the INC takes it as a black sad Saturday because our people was gruesomely murdered in cold blood, it was an avoidable situation but it was politically motivated.

"There was an unseen hand that motivated that Abuloma incident, and that is why we are calling on the Ijaw people in Rivers State to be united and should rally round the Governor of Rivers State because we will not allow enemies to come and kill and maim our people, the Ijaw Nation will not take that."

According to him, the leadership of INC has visited the Abuloma Monarch and members of the community to condole with them, and also set up two committees to unravel the cause of the killings, and also to stop the frequent conflicts Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, is having, which the recommendations would be made public by the INC.