In a peaceful demonstration on Sunday, the residents of Igbomotoru in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State expressed their grievances against an alleged military invasion orchestrated by Joshua Maciver, the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the recently concluded state governorship election. The protesters, comprised of youths, men, women, and chiefs, asserted that the onslaught aimed to suppress them and install an unpopular figure, Friday Jonathan, as the paramount ruler of the community.
In videos posted online, the community accused Maciver of using his connections with Tantita Security Services Limited, a pipeline surveillance firm in the Niger Delta region, to create unrest. They vehemently vowed to resist any attempt to impose an “unwanted stooge” as their paramount ruler.
A man claiming to be the deputy paramount ruler of the community urged the federal and state governments to scrutinize the activities of Tantita and Maciver, alleging plans to forcefully install an outsider as the ruler of Igbomotoru. An elderly woman, speaking in the Izon language, emphasized the peaceful nature of the community and warned against disruptive attempts.
The Southern Ijaw council area’s caretaker committee chairman, Lucky Okodeh, echoed similar security concerns about Tantita’s operations in the region. Okodeh accused the firm of security breaches, including the destruction of lives and property, and called for a thorough investigation to address the alleged misconduct by the company’s operatives.
Efforts to obtain a response from Joshua Maciver were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report, with an associate promising to provide the APC chieftain’s comments later. Additionally, calls to an official at Tantita were repeatedly diverted.
