Delta StateProtest

Violence Averted As Nigerian Navy Is Accused Of ‘Oppressing’ Okada Riders In Delta

Rita Enemuru, Reporting

COMMERCIAL motorcycle riders, popularly known as ‘Okada’ riders, have cried out over an alleged oppression from officers and personnel of the Nigerian Navy in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The aggrieved Okada Riders made the allegation during a peaceful protest which distrupted vehicular movements in Oghara town, the headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Area.

They said they were being oppressed by some of the ethnic-biased Nigeria Navy personnel in the area.

They said trouble started when a northern commercial motorcycle rider knocked down an indigene of Oghara and refused to accept responsibility for the accident.

The protesters further disclosed that the northerner, suspected to be a Hausa man, was using the wrong lane when he knocked down the Oghara man.

Rather than the culprit to show some remorse, he attempted to bolt away with the assistance of his fellow Hausas.

The development reportedly resulted in a hot argument between the Oghara riders and the Hausas.

In the midst of the argument, one of the Hausas reportedly made a phone call to a Naval staff who after arrival at the scene, rather than to find out what went wrong, decided to side with the Hausas – his kinsmen.

Worse still, the naval personnel went ahead to beat up and arrested one of the riders who is an indigene.

Speaking to journalists, the Deputy Task Head, Delta State Motorcycle and Tricycle, Ethiope West chapter, Comrade Kingsley Ufuoma, said the protest was to call on their member, who was ‘abducted’ by the Navy, to be released.

He thanked the Ethiope West Local Government Area for a swift response in ensuring peace and order was restored in the area, adding that their man had been released.

Kingsley encouraged all residents, both indigenes or non-indigenes, to live in peace as all they wanted was a society free of oppression.

Also speaking, Christian Ufuoma, an Okada rider, said they were okay with the way the council chairman, Hon Oghenedoro Owoso and his vice Hon Austin Atomre, handled the issue, saying peace has returned to the area.

He stressed that the issue of ethnicity and oppression by the naval personnel should be addressed by the relevant authorities.

Speaking to the vice chairman of the Ethiope West local Government Area, Hon Austin Atomre who joined the council chairman Hon Oghenedoro Owoso to restored sanity to the locality, he noted that the area of oppression by some of the Navy personnel as alleged by the people would be discussed at a security meeting.

He advised everyone to go about their normal activities, urging them to maintain law and order.

The logistics naval headquarters in Oghara has yet to respond to the alleged unpatriotic and unprofessional conduct of its personnel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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