MURDER OF ARMY CADET: IYC SEEKS PROSECUTION OF CULPRITS, AS YENAGOA WOMEN PROTEST AGAINST KILLING.

• Police confirms Arrests

YENAGOA: The Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC) Worldwide have condemned the murder of Enoch Saviour, an Army Cadet of the Nigerian Defence Academy, who was gunned down by Suspected Cultists on a robbery mission on Saturday.

A statement from the National legal adviser, Barr. Ayebakuro Igbeta, said the news came as a shock to the association, regretting that the death of Saviour was a great loss to Ijaw Nation.

The 20-year-old cadet whose father was killed by boko-haram insurgents while in active service, was on holiday from his school at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, and was reportedly killed while attempting to rescue a victim who was being harassed by cultists in Ovom, a suburb of Yenagoa.

"The Ijaw Youths Council condemns the uncivilised murder of a promising NDA cadet, we call on security agencies to wake up and ensure the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to book, on our path, we will form a synergy with the security agencies to facilitate arrest, we sympathise with the family and beg them to remain calm and allow security forces to do their work, as National legal adviser of the IYC, i will work closely with the attorney general and the commissioner of Justice, to ensure prosecution of the culprit when apprehended", while it may not also be far from our suspicions that such evil act sometimes are orchestrated by some miscreants from other sections of the country who are spewing divisive & hate statements everywhere, who may have infiltrated our Niger Delta Region with the aim of killing our young promising & visionary young men serially then ascribe such crime to our youth, all these factors will also be considered adequately in the course of our investigations" Barr. Igbeta added.

The Spokesperson of the IYC central zone (Bayelsa), Deacon Tari Agai, also a vice-chairmanship candidate in the forthcoming IYC central zonal elections, regretted that the incident occurred in the zone, he described the death as a colossal loss to Ijaw Nation while extending condolences to the family, he urged youths to refrain from violence and key into the restoration peace agenda.

" This is a colossal loss to Ijaw Nation, in a few years from now, by God making, the deceased if alive would have rose to the rank of Captain or a Major, the entire Ijaw Youths in central zone therefore condemns in entirety this gruesome murder, i want to also urge our Youths to refrain from activities that are capable of breaching the existing peace in the state, as Ijaw people we are a peace loving people, it is not part of our culture to endulge aimed at causing mayhelm, youths in the state should wake up and support the restoration government that has come to make life better and easier for us", Agai added.

Meanwhile reports from the residence states that a dusk till dawn curfew has been imposed around the axis where the incident occurred.

A spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, also confirmed the incident, saying that the police through the community policing initiative had arrested no fewer than 20 persons in connection with the killing.

The community has condemned that act in totality as several Bayelsa women on Monday took to the streets of Yenagoa, the state capital, in protest against the murder, they came out en masse to show their support for the police in order to arrest the suspects. The angry women called on the  police and the state government to save them from cases of violent attacks, rape, armed robbery and killings by the suspected cultists, they encouraged government to enforce laws aimed at executing caught culprits.

“About 20 persons have been arrested. I know that they have screened some of them. I do not know how many of them are linked directly to the killing. However, the community has volunteered useful information concerning the actual suspects who have been identified" Asinim said.

Meanwhile, Saviour’s family has urged the security agencies in the state to fish out the killers and bring them to justice.

The deceased’s uncle, Mr Ovieakini Enoch, made the appeal on Monday in Yenagoa.