Ijaw Development Association warns Oodua Defenders Union against threatening its people

NIGER Delta socio-cultural organisation the Ijaw Development Association (Ida) has called Oodua Defenders Union (Odu) to withdraw its threat to attack its members in the southwest due to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

 

Over recent weeks, the NDA has stepped up its attacks on oil installations, blowing up pipelines and giving companies operating within the Niger Delta an ultimatum to leave. In response, Odu has threatened to retaliate against Ijaws living in Lagos if any Yorubas are harmed during the campaign.

 

Ida has called on Odu not to break the historic peace between the Ijaw and the Yoruba. It appealed to Odu to withdraw the statement which it claimed was based on wrong assumptions of the relationship between the two ethnic groups.

 

Ida president Fiyebo Eperetei said: “The Ijaw in Lagos are not at war with Yoruba, hence, it will be very unfortunate for anybody to plan attack on Ijaw in Lagos. The umbrella body of Ijaw nation, Ijaw National Congress and Ijaw Youth Council, did not issue any threat to attack installations in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.

 

"Therefore, the threat or plan by the Niger Delta Avengers should not be used as a basis to attack peaceful and law abiding Ijaw in Lagos. We also use this medium to appeal to Odu that we are not at war with anybody in Lagos State."

 

He added as a peace loving people, it will be very sad for Ijaws to be attacked because of a statement by a group of people operating from the Niger Delta who are allegedly agitating for the interest of the whole region and not the Ijaw alone.