Delta LG poll: Egbema group threatens bloodbath in Warri North

By Emma Amaize and Austin Ogwuda
THE Egbema Radical Group, ERG, an insurgent Ijaw group in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, has threatened to disrupt the October 25 local government elections in the area, except the Itsekiri ethnic group ceded the chairmanship seat to the Ijaw.
Spokesperson of the group, Mr Amin Dada, told Saturday Vanguard, “Since Warri North was created, Ijaw man had never emerged chairman of the council, which we are all stakeholders. The Itsekiri people have taken the chairmanship as their birthright, so we have vowed that this must stop in 2014.”
“We have made representations at different times and published our stand  in the media in the past few years, but the powers that be in Itsekiri land and the Itsekiri government in power in Asaba do not want to hear us, and it is clear that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable,” he added.
Police warn group
Delta State Police Command said it was not aware of the threat by any group to stop the local government elections in Warri North.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Celestina Kalu, said, “The police wish to warn any person(s) and group(s) in the state that want to cause trouble in Warri North or any part of the state during the forthcoming Local Government elections to desist from it, as adequate policemen will be deployed to deal with such situation.”
Her words: “The police are  not aware of any threat to stop the elections in Warri North, we do not know such group and they are warned to stop any planned action forthwith.”
We don’t select candidates for parties– DSIEC boss
Chairman of Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, Mr. Moses Ogbe, told  Saturday Vanguard when contacted on the threat: “We expect that the 26 registered political parties are presently conducting their primaries. We do not interfere in their choice of candidates.”
No talk with criminals- Uduaghan
Saturday Vanguard learnt that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is from Warri north, had waded into the matter to ensure there was no disturbance to his peace and security agenda.
He had stated clearly in the past that the state government would not succumb to blackmail by criminals, who masquerade as activists, describing the Egbema Radical Group as criminals, who must not be allowed to exist in the state.
The governor was emphatic that government was not prepared to discuss with criminals and those talking about elections should go to the polls, instead of destroying oil installations, killing and maiming their fellow citizens.
At a time, he constituted a committee of Itsekiri and Ijaw leaders in Warri North to look into the issues causing friction in the area and proffer solution, while security agencies were deployed to fish out the insurgents. Arrests were made, but with the local government elections approaching, the group has regrouped to cause mayhem.