Dickson fears another ‘Odi massacre’ by army

Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, has condemned the killings of security personnel, reminding those behind the act of the reprisal invasion of Odi by the military under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Odi attack was carried out on November 20, 1999, following the killing of 12 policemen in the Bayelsa town.

Odi was razed to the ground by the military in “Operation Hakuri”, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people, including women and children.

Dickson, who said he does not want a repeat of the sad episode, advised community leaders to check the activities of their youths.

“The Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Henry has condemned in very strong terms, the recent unprovoked attack and killing of four security personnel in Nembe Creek and three Naval personnel in Foropa community in Nembe and Southern Ijaw local government areas of the state and other parts of the Niger Delta region,” read a statement issued on the governor’s behalf by Daniel Iworiso-Markson, his chief press secretary.

“According to him, such unwarranted attacks on the nation’s security personnel were putting the state and the region in bad light, and also putting the innocent ones in the state and the Niger Delta region in danger.

“While warning that the government of Bayelsa State does not want a replay of the Odi massacre in 1999, during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, where only the innocent people suffered the brunt of the military invasion, the governor called on community leaders and other stakeholders to check the activities of youths in their domains.

“As part of the steps to check the activities of the youths, the unwholesome trend and improve the security situation in the state, he said community leaders, elders and other stakeholders would be summoned to a meeting at a date to be announced later.

The statement added that Dickson said his administration was working in concert with the security agents to bring the culprits to book and forestall any future occurrences.

The governor’s statement came on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the military to go on a manhunt for the perpetrators and clamp down all security threats in the Niger Delta.