IYC kicks as four die in Bayelsa communal clash

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has condemned the bloody conflict that has claimed four lives in Bilabiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area in Bayelsa.

The council said a proposed security contract triggered disagreements that led to the communal clash.

The IYC in a statement by its President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, on Friday, appealed to the warring parties to sheathe their swords, saying it was irresponsible for brothers to pick arms against themselves.

Igbifa said instead of bloodshed the brothers should sit down to discuss the issues and resolve grey areas of their differences, insisting dialogue remained the best tool in dispute resolution.

The IYC boss called on the police and other security agencies to immediately move into the warring community and restore order.

He said the council was willing to work stakeholders of Bilabiri and security agencies to restore the peace in the area.

Igbifa further urged Governor Douye Diri to raise a peace panel that would work with all the parties in the dispute to identify the causes of the crisis and permanently resolve them. (The Nation)