THE PRESS RELEASE ON BWARI CRISIS By the Spokes Person, Bwari Youth Development Association
25th December 2017 in Bwari area council of Abuja has been tagged a black Christmas day because of the deadly crisis that resulted to lost of lives and properties. The FCT minister and other government officials have been reporting untruly and differently on the primary causative factors.
Today the Gbagyis who are the original owners and inhabitants of Bwari land has let the cat out of the bag by telling the public the root cause of the 25th December 2017 crisis in Bwari that led to the burning of the only market in Balwari Area council of Abuja. Read below the full, complete and original statement released by the Bwari Youth Development Association ....
"The President Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Senate President, the Honourable Speaker, gentlemen of the press, good people of Nigeria.
You will all recall that on 25th of December, 2017(Christmas day). Bwari was engulfed in Crisis and this press briefing is to address the wrong speculations going on about the genesis of the Crisis and to further state what really happened and the final solution to this crisis.
The FCT minister, in person of Mohammed Musa Bello, has been flaunting himself on the media, deceiving the entire public and giving them the wrong impression that the Bwari crisis was a result of cult activities, in order not to see him as the cause of this crisis. As peace loving people, not to allow this false news aggravate the good people of Bwari, who already know that the FCT minister has been hiding under the so called cult activities in other to shift the attention of the general public from the root cause of the crisis which the chieftaincy tussle and not to reveal his weaknesses and inability to govern the FCT without religious sentiment.
Gentlemen of the press, we wish to let the entire public know, through you, the real cause of the 25th of December crisis in Bwari.
On the 24th of December 2017, at about 11:45pm, a number of Hausa boys from Angwan Hausawa also known as Tudun Wada, came into Cikin Gwari chanting "where are the Gbagyi youths, we must finish them” they came so close to Esu palace and stabbed one of our youth (Mr. Wisdom Philip) who was on his way back from church to his house. Despite every effort to save his life, he still died that night. The case was immediately reported by his family to the police station, in order not to take law into our hands. We were calm awaiting the police action on the case.
The following morning on the 25th of December, 2017 on our way to the cemetery to prepare for the burial, we met a road block before general hospital close to the palace of the so called Sarkin Bwari and all of a sudden some Hausa thugs with machetes, daggers, axes, and all sort of weapons, came out from this same Sarkin Bwari Palace throwing stones at us and of course we were paralysed with fear and everyone started running back calling for help. Some of the Gbagyi youths, who were still at home preparing for church service came out and the whole thing escalated. Unknown to us one of the Hausa boy was on top of the central mosque which is opposite First ECWA Bwari, with a gun shooting at us, which led to the death of two of our brothers ( Mr Julius Dasha and Timothy Thomas), as so many others sustained gunshot injuries. Among them are: Tanko Kuku, James Danladi, Festus Danladi, Aaron Barnabas, Inuwa Kuku and Solomon Lazarus. As we speak Solomon Lazarus is still critical ill at the specialist hospital Gwagwalada hopefully to recuperate from gunshot injuries and surgical trauma.
As the Crisis was getting more intense the Hausa boys who saw this as an avenue for looting, set fire on properties in the market and on the streets. While some of their gangs went to attack churches nearby, others were busy selecting the shops owned by the Gbagyis rented mostly by Igbos, to turn it into a religious crisis.
later in the evening that same day (25th of December, 2017.) an emergency security meeting was convened at Bwari Area Council Secretariat at the instance of FCT minister Mal. Mohammad Musa Bello, FCT Senator (Sen.. Philip T. Aduda), House of Reps. AMAC/Bwari constituency (RT Hon. Zaphaniah B. Jisalo), Bwari Area Council Chairman (Hon. Musa Dikko), Assistant Commissioner of Police, Area Commander, Bwari DPO, SSS, and other personnels. After the opening prayer which was said by the CAN chairman Bwari Chapter, the FCT minister (Mal. Mohammad Musa Bello) started by asking the DPO to update them on the situation.
The DPO said since the appointment of Awal Ijakoro as the sarkin Bwari there has been a problem. Bwari youth wrote to me for permission to have a protest in Bwari town and I said there is a circular which directed that all protests should be held at unity fountain in the city and the youths indeed complied and went to the unity fountain to stage a protest and also submitted a letter of complaint to the minister. Few weeks later, hence there was no response from the office of the minister; the community further sues the case to the federal high court in Bwari. At this point the FCT minister did not allow the DPO' to elaborate further on the genesis of the crisis, asking him to go straight to what happened on the 24th and 25th December.
The FCT minister did not allow the DPO' to elaborate further on the genesis of the crisis because his explaination will indict the minister who having imposed Awal Mohammed Ijakoro who as the name depicts is from Ija village in the Koro segment in Niger State to be a traditional ruler of Bwari Chiefdom which is never done in any part of the country. Awal Mohammed Ijakoro has no lineage to the chieftancy diadem of Bwari Chiefdom, because he is not from Bwari talk less being a Gbagyi tribe who are sole owner of the chiefdom. Moreover there is an existing traditional institution in Bwari since 14th century. And the present Esu HRH Ibrahim Yaro is the 17th traditional ruler known as Esu of Bwaya (Bwari).
On Thursday the 4th January 2018, the so called Sarkin Bwari (Awal Mohammed Ijakoro) whose appointment as the Sarkin Bwari orchestrated the present crisis ordered Gbagyi women to vacate the community land which is provided for trading of yams and fire woods but retained some Hausa men on the same land. This act is further brewing another crisis on this land. If this happens again can the FCT minister Mohammad Musa Bello attribute this to cultists activities again?.
The simple truth is we are tired of being taken for jolly rides! We are tired of this injustice! We can no longer have two kings in Bwari! We can no longer tolerate a non indigene having traditional power over us! We want the Government of the day to truly show the world that its present equity and fairness by abolishing the seat of Emir or Sarkin in Bwari that has cause more harm than good. The only traditional institution we want to bow to, is that of the Esu. We want our Esu, HRH Ibrahim Yaro, to be seen as the one and only traditional Ruler in the Bwari Chiefdom.
We want to use this medium to tell our Igbos, Yorubas, Nupes, Igalas, Igbiras, Edos, friends and other well wishers resident in the chiefdom who lost their properties and other valuables that we sincerely share in their pains. As much as possible we will corporate with the security outfit on ground to ensure that peace returns to Bwaya (Bwari), for this is the only land we know and have.
All we are saying is that the right thing should be done, Awal Moahhemd Ijakoro should be removed as the chief or sarkin Bwari and only one legitimate traditional ruler HRH Ibrahim Yaro should be maintained as our chief (Esu) in Bwari Chiefdom.
May the soul of our brothers and friends who lost their lives during the crisis rest in peace. You will be forever remembered.
Presented by
Comr Theophilus Noah Baba
(Spokesman Bwari Youth Development Association)"
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