Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has ordered chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state, and youths to fish out members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wherever they may be in the state.
Governor Wike also threatened the council chairmen with the sack if IPOB is allowed to hoist its flag or hold processions within their jurisdiction.
The governor gave the matching order during a meeting with the council chairmen, Community Development Committees, and youth leaders at the Government House, in Port Harcourt on Monday.
A statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, quoted Wike as describing Rivers as the most accommodating state for all Nigerians, noting that there has never been any historical incident of different ethnic groups clashing in the state as has been witnessed in other parts of the country.
“We can never be against any ethnic group. We can never do that. We have lived in harmony with the Ibos, the Hausas, and the Edo people. Everybody that comes to this state we have lived in harmony with. So Nigerians must commend Rivers State as a place where you have never had a problem between this group and that group,” he said.
The governor however maintained that while the people of Rivers State believed in the unity of the country, they will not allow criminals under the aegis of a terrorist group called IPOB to continue to threaten the stability of the state.
“There is one terrorist group they call IPOB. I did not declare them a terrorist group, the court declared them a terrorist group, not me. The federal government declared them a terrorist group. IPOB cannot use Rivers State to be a place where they will be launching attacks. If you allow that, your future, your children’s future is gone,” he told the gathering.
According to him, he was annoyed that IPOB planned to hoist its flag in Oyigbo, directing the council chairman to ensure there will not be another occurrence of this treasonous act which was perpetrated there.
“Go to Oyigbo and see what they have done. They destroyed the court. What did the court do? See the soldiers they killed and burnt them. See the policemen they killed and burnt them and then you said people will sit and fold their arms”, wike said.
While calling for vigilance, he warned the IPOB members not to delude themselves because Rivers state cannot be colonized or annexed by any group, particularly, while he is still the governor of the State.
According to him, Rivers state can never be annexed to any state or zone, pointing out that Rivers is Niger Delta and will remain part of the Niger Delta in Nigeria.
He further noted that while every Nigerian is allowed to reside in the state, those who wish to do so must live in peace and within the law with the people of the state.
“Ibos are living and doing their business here and they will continue to live and do their business here. We support that.
“But that terrorist group call IPOB cannot determine what happens in our state. To tell us where they own. It will never happen and we must not allow it to happen”, he said.
He charged the council bosses, youth leaders, CDCs to go into their various communities and identify all those IPOB members, adding that nobody of Ibo extraction legitimately residing and doing business in the state must be harassed.
