From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

 

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), has expressed concern over the rising cases of kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state despite efforts of Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, to provide support for security agencies.

According to the IYC, although the state government has recently provided over 40 patrol vehicles and financial support to boost security agencies, it seems the morale of the rank and files is low and lacking necessary motivation from their bosses.

The national spokesman of the IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, in an interactive session with newsmen in Yenagoa, accused the heads of security agencies in the state of not doing enough to stem the worrisome trend of kidnapping, high-profile killing, and violent crimes in the state despite the huge investment in security of the state by the Diri administration.

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“The question we are asking is despite the huge resources expended by Governor Diri to security agencies in the state, we are not getting value for money. There is available evidence that the morale of the rank and file is very low. The top echelon of the security agencies is not doing enough to motivate their men in taking their jobs seriously. Nobody in the state is happy about the high trend of kidnapping and criminality in the state.”

“As Ijaw Youths Council, we find it difficult to believe that the security agencies are not doing their jobs effectively. People come into the state and kidnap with impunity and nobody has been arrested. Nobody has been made to pay for the crimes they have committed; that has made the criminals to be emboldened to do more with affront. The borders of the state are porous and security operatives seems not interested in searching and querying what goes into the state and comes out,” he said.

He urged security agencies in Bayelsa to sit up as people were dying; they seek justice while those alive seek protection.

Erekefe also announced that the Ijaw youths in all the clans in the state had been placed on red alert to gather and provide intelligence to security agencies in order to stop the worrisome security trend.