Ijaw yesterday protested the continued alleged indiscriminate shooting into its communities across the Warri River and opposite the Navy base.

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC)yesterday urged the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Dan Ali to prevail on military officers especially those attached to Naval Base, Warri, Delta State to immediately stop the indiscriminate shooting into Ijaw communities directly opposite the Warri Naval Base.

The spokesman of the IYC Eric Omare said: “For some time now and for no reason, military officers attached to the naval base and those patrolling the Warri river have indiscriminately, been shooting into Naifor Island, Desemor Island, Oroupa Island and other Ijaw communities directly opposite Warri especially late in the night on Friday and Saturday January 29th and 30th respectively .

“This has led to cases of injury to those running for safety and many residents moving out from these Ijaw communities to other places. There are reports that the military would soon carry out raids on the communities. The IYC cannot see any reason for this sudden unprovoked attack on Ijaw communities around Warri and its environs.The military authorities must immediately call on the officers concerned to stop this unwarranted attack on innocent Ijaw people and communities.

Ijaw people and communities around Warri have lived in those places for centuries without constituting any security threat. The IYC is amazed that military officers that ought to protect the lives of citizens are now the security threats to the citizens they are supposed to protect.”