I was attacked by shepherds – Delta Niger, Ozobo rights activist

Human rights activist Niger Delta, Comrade Austin Ozobo, said that he and others were attacked by shepherds along the Ooor/Bomadi road in the Delta State, while telling his ordeal in the hands of Daredevils, who said he named other people with him, otherwise known as “Yahoo”.

Comrade Ozobo, who is the national president of the IJAW People’s Development Initiative (IPDI), in a discussion with our correspondent in the Ayakoromo community, said it is an “act of God” that his life and others were spared during the attack.

He described the security situation in the Delta State as being very “alarming”, stressing that “he can no longer travel the fear of the shepherds.”

By telling the ordeal in the hands of the shepherds on Saturday, February 22, Comrade Ozobo said: “I came from a funeral ceremony in Torugbene, when our vehicle broke around 18:00, about a kilometer before Agadama on Ohoror Road.

“We were trying to find a solution, looking for a tire and a mechanic to repair the car. The trial took us a few hours. Finally, we managed to get a mechanic and a new tire to solve our vehicle. Exactly at 22:30, the new tire and mechanics arrived.

“As we fixed the car, all our attention was on the tire. Everyone showed the phone torches to the tire that fixes the tire. From a time, I saw some people who were turning torches to us, who surround us in a circle. At a very close distance, they turned their torches with AK-47 and AK-49 kids and ordered us to descend, warning that if someone would try to run, they would shoot. “

According to Ozobo, “Immediately, we all went down. They took advantage of us. At first, the band leader asked where we came from. They even called Yahoo Boys, saying we should bring all our goods because we were Yahoo boys. I told them that we are not Yahoo boys, that we are just coming from a funeral.

“One of them whispered to the leader that he should take us to the forest, but the leader reduced this decision. Instead, they took all our phones and money. After that, they asked us to unlock our phones and transfer money. We were all crying that I had no money to transfer. We ask our God to intervene.

“At that time, there was no security patrol along the Ooor road. The army stationed at the extreme end of the bridge under construction in that area did not intervene. No one came to our rescue. The operation lasted about an hour. We were all lying on Earth, while people began to unlock their phones.

“One of the attackers approached me and asked me to delete my phone data instead of unlocking them. This was my sad experience.

“I was trying to delete the information on my phone, and in this process, I managed to delete my bank applications from both phones.

“Suddenly, he returned and accused me of disobed him. I asked how to disobed him, but he used a cutlas to hit my back three times. Then the leader intervened, saying he is not “deleted”, but “unlocks” that his boy was trying to say.

“I was trying to unlock my phone, but out of anger and frustration, I couldn’t sit down and do it correctly. The leader then pointed out that everyone else has finished unlocking their phones and, since I was challenging, should take me to the woods.

“But the ancestors of Ijaw and the Almighty God would not allow this. I pray in me.

“Suddenly, the leader ordered me to give them the password. I shouted my password, entered it and the phone was open. After that, the leader told the boys that they had overestimated on the spot and should move to the forest. Before we left, they asked us to stand up and move.

“I was not satisfied with this, because, in several cases, the robbers or bandits asked the victims to move before shooting them from behind. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea. When others got up, I didn’t do it.

“After a while, we moved to our vehicle and we managed to escape the stage that night.”

Comrade Ozobo described Ohoror/Bomadi Road as a trap of death, saying: “Before our incident, the manager’s brother, One Fergogha, was killed about two or three days earlier, on February 22, on Saturday. After our incident, the same shepherds operating in the area killed two residents of the UWHERU community.

“When I spoke with people from the Agadama community, they told me that the situation is out of control and that they can no longer stay in their comfortable homes or sleep with both closed eyes. Even the students from the extreme end of the community evacuated. Many residents have left that part of the community. Last Saturday, I was told that shepherds had attacked Agadama again, forcing all residents to flee to the Ooor community. “

Comrade Ozobo said: “The situation is precarious and tense,” stressing that the sheriff of the state governor Delta Obevwori does nothing in this regard. “That was my anger. How can you drive a state, your people are attacked and you say you are not aware of it? You cannot say that you are not aware of it! “

Comrade Ozobo dressed in governor Obevwori, saying: “When you talk about development, it is a broad term. When people say that a governor develops a state, it is a broad term. It is not just about building roads. How many poor families do they have driving machines on the roads? “He asked.

He said: “Development includes proper ability and security.

“The construction of alone roads cannot qualify (Obevwori) as a development teacher.”

Comrade Ozobo asked governor Obevwori to directly address the uncertainty that threatens the lives and properties of state citizens and residents, by addressing security challenges at Ohor/Bomadi.