Francis Sadhere

The Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC) has commended the Bayelsa State Government and the people of Dodo community, especially the Community Youth Leader, Mr. Berry Negerese for the role they all played in the release of the three Dutch Nationals who were kidnapped by gunmen at Letugbene in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The three Dutch Nationals who were kidnapped by gunmen were in the late hours of Saturday, 10^th of May, 2014 released by their captors.

In a press statement signed by the IYC Spokesman, Barrister Eric Omare and made available to National Reformer, the Ijaw group said the leading exemplary role played by the Bayelsa State Government in the release of the 3 Dutch Nationals was commendable.

“The IYC commend Ijaw youths and particularly, Ijaw Youth Leader and Businessman, Mr. Negerese Berry who led efforts towards their release sequel to the two days ultimatum issued by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, Comrade Udengs Eradiri on Thursday, the 8^th of May, 2014 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to the kidnappers to released the Dutch Nationals,” the statement reads.

Stating further, IYC said; “The leading and exemplary role played by the Bayelsa State Government towards the release of the kidnapped Dutch Nationals is commendable and we recommend same to other state governments especially those in the North East Region of Nigeria on how a responsible state government should respond to security challenges within its domain.”

Barrister Omare stated that state governments were not expected to sponsor crimes and demand the central government to perform magic in resolving such security challenges, noting that the fight against criminality was the collective responsibility of everybody including youths, community leaders, local, state and federal government as demonstrated in the release of the kidnapped three Dutch Nationals.

While apologizing to the kidnapped victims and the government of the Netherlands for the pains the unfortunate incident might have caused them, IYC reiterated its total resolve to working with relevant stakeholders in the fight against kidnapping, oil theft and piracy in the Niger Delta Region.

The Ijaw group called on government at the state and federal levels to double their efforts towards creation of jobs for the youths, stressing that it was most potent way of fighting kidnapping and other crimes in the region.

The group said; “We also want to assure foreign nationals that with the structures the IYC is putting in place together with relevant government agencies and stakeholders, incidents of kidnapping would soon be a thing of the past in the Niger Delta Region.”