Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday said the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori and the late D.S.P Alamieyeseigha were victims of the struggle in the Niger Delta.

Dickson, who received Ibori at the Government House in Yenagoa, said the two former governors mobilised the people of the Niger Delta for resource control, fiscal federalism and other issues affecting the region.

According to him: “Both of you are victims of the Niger Delta struggle. You brought our people together to ensure fiscal federalism, resource control and other issues. You did very well.

“You and your late brother were victims in the struggle. He was harassed and hounded to his untimely death. But the Ijaw nation cannot be intimidated. We will work with allies and friends to stand up for the right causes. We lost him at a most difficult time.”

He added: “Nobody in this nation will build and sustain leaders for us. Let’s learn from others. Can we say their leaders are better than ours? They were celebrating when he died. Their calculation was to intimidate us and make southern Ijaw a battleground. With the resilience of our people, we won. You are not just a leader of Delta State. You are our leader. Niger Delta cannot stand in isolation.”

Ibori said he was in Yenagoa, “to commiserate with the people and Government of Bayelsa State over the loss of my dear friend, brother, comrade and soul mate, who died a year ago.”

He said he was devastated by the news of Alamieyeseigha’s death and described him as a hero, a martyr who was ready to die for what he believed in.“I do not know how to express my sympathy to you. It is a duty because it happened in my absence. He spoke against oppression in any part of the country,” he stated.Ibori later paid a condolence visit to the family of Alamieyeseigha in Amassoma.