Ondo rep raises the alarm over extortion of Ilaje fishermen

Kolade Akinjo, a member of the house of representatives, has alleged that fishermen in the Ilaje area of Ondo state are being harassed by Ijaw people.

Akinjo represents Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency.

Fishing is the main occupation of the Ilaje people.

In a series of tweets, Akinjo alleged that the Ilaje fishermen are harassed and illegally taxed by Ijaws of the Sokobolo/Yokiri Burutu local government area of Delta state.

The lawmaker said the alleged harassment has been ongoing for about 10 years, adding that in some cases, the Ilaje fishermen have had their boats and fishing materials seized.

He added that they had to pay some amount of money to retrieve their fishing tools.

Akinjo said on January 10, the fishermen received a letter asking them to stop their activities along the coastline and that those who defied the order were “mercilessly dealt with”.

He, therefore, called on the Ondo and Edo state governments to urgently intervene in the matter.

“Our attention has been drawn to the worrisome plights of our brothers, who are fishermen in the coastal areas of Ilaje local government, Ondo state, over the constant harassments and illegal taxation being placed on them by the Ijaws of the Sokobolo/Yokiri Burutu Local Govt Area of #DeltaState to prevent their fishing activities in the coastal regions,” the post reads.

“According to a report, our people have been facing these challenges for almost a decade now due to insufficient awareness of what is happening there. In fact, on several occasions, they have had their boat engines and fishing materials seized and later retrieved upon payment of certain sum of money without the knowledge of governmental authorities.

“On the 10th of Jan, 2021, a letter was received by our Ilaje brothers to completely halt their fishing activities along the coastline. Those who violated the illegal order, consequently are being dealt with mercilessly by these people laying claim to the sea.

“In the light of the foregoing, we are calling on the governments of Ondo state and Delta state and all concerned security agencies to urgently intervene into this matter.

“As a people, we are better off when we live in peace and with mutual regard for our biological differences and geographical relativity by bearing in mind the truism that injury to one is an injury to all.

“Again, since we are tied to an inescapable network of mutuality and bond by one garment of destiny, what directly affects one, indirectly affects all. Let us live in peace.”

Our attention has been drawn to the worrisome plights of our brothers, who are fishermen in the coastal areas of Ilaje local government, Ondo state over the constant harassments and illegal taxation being placed on them by the Ijaws of the Sokobolo/Yokiri Burutu Local Govt …1/

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— Kolade Victor Akinjo (@Akinjo) January 25, 2021