Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has removed the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Chief Okosughe Benson Eseimokumo.
The governor has also directed the immediate dissolution of the Ogboinbiri council of chiefs, community development committee and the youth body as well as his deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, to constitute an interim committee to oversee the affairs of Ogboinbiri pending the restoration of peace and security.
A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, stated that the governor wielded the axe on Thursday during the April 2026 Praise Night at the King of Glory Chapel in Government House, Yenagoa, the state capital.
According to him, the development followed Tuesday’s violent dispute that led to the loss of life and arson attacks, prompting the state government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the community.
Alabrah disclosed that the state’s helmsman charged the Commissioner of Police to ensure that all culprits directly involved in the incident be apprehended and brought to justice.
According to him, Diri explained that the state government was yet to accord Chief Eseimokumo full recognition as paramount ruler pending the resolution of the protracted conflicts in Ogboinbiri.
The statement quoted Diri as saying, “Security is everyone’s business. The state has been peaceful except for the unfortunate recent incident of killing and arson in Ogboinbiri community.
“I have been very patient with Ogboinbiri community. Violent disputes had been on for about two to three years now.
“I had set up different committees to resolve the lingering conflict there to no avail. I even directed my deputy to intervene. I invited the traditional ruler and the youths to my office in Yenagoa and, yet, recently there was killing and burning of houses.
“The Commissioner of Police and all security agencies are hereby directed to ensure that all those directly involved in that dastardly act are arrested and the law must take its full course. To that extent, all youth-related bodies in Ogboinbiri are from this day dissolved. The CDC from this day stands dissolved.
“The paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri is hereby sacked as he was yet to be recognised by the state government. I was waiting for peace to be restored for us to recognise him but, unfortunately, l am very sure he cannot hold that community together. We must say no to the evil acts in Ogboinbiri.”
“We cannot afford to kill ourselves for pecuniary gains or for whatever reasons. Ogboinbiri is an oil producing community and l keep telling them that what they are receiving are peanuts compared to what the oil companies get from Ogboinbiri.”
“Giving an update on the state’s 60-megawatt gas turbine project, the governor explained that the technical experts were almost done at the power plant and urged people of the state to be more patient as his administration had committed much effort and resources to ensure that the state enjoyed stable power supply”.
