Amidst rife insinuations that the kidnappers of the Banigo 4 are of Andoni extraction, the Obolo Youth Coalition (OYC) has expressed its readiness to partner relevant stakeholders in ongoing efforts to rescue the captives.

The OYC also dissociated the Obolo (Andoni) ethnic nationality from acts of criminality in all ramifications.

The Coordinator of OYC, Bonny Branch, Gogo Glad, who came out with this position in a chat with Kristina Reports in Bonny, condemned the act of the hoodlums, demanding that the kidnappers release their victims unconditionally and unharmed.

“Bonny people and the Obolo people, as in the Andoni people, are twin brothers, so whatever that will cause problem between the Bonny people and the Obolo people, the Obolo Youth Coalition Nationwide, we don’t want it.”

“The Obolo people in Bonny Island, like I said, are brothers; we are not the ones that did it. So, whosoever that did it should come out and he or she should make sure that these persons are released without nothing attached to it.”

The Obolo (Andoni) ethnic group is a subset or clan of the larger Ijaw ethnic nationality and occupies the geopolitical area designated as Andoni LGA in Rivers State. They are bounded on the West by Bonny LGA, North by Gokana and Khana LGAs and on the East by Opobo/Nkoro LGA. 

The Obolo Youth Coalition is a convergence of diverse youth groups comprising youths of Obolo (Andoni) origin and believes in deploying strategic engagement and intellectual advocacy to drive the actualization of an egalitarian society.

Referencing the agelong ancestral linkages between the Ibani (Bonny) and Obolo (Andoni) Clans, Gogo Glad distanced his people from such dastard acts, saying that the Andoni people will not seek the harm of their Bonny brothers.

“What happened on the 12th of September, 2020, I will tell you that the Obolo Youth Coalition is not aware of it and we are not part of it at all. If one man can say he is from the Obolo nation, he is from Andoni and would go and be part of what happened that (September) 12th, that Saturday, then it will affect the rest Obolo people. No, no, no, we won’t take that. We need to bring those boys or that particular person to book.”

Gogo asserted in reassuring words that he knows for sure that “the Obolo people are peace loving people. Bonny people are our brothers, so whatever that will cause problem between the Bonny man and the Obolo man or Andoni man, we don’t want it.”

He called on the perpetrators of this ugly act to do the needful and return their victims safe and without anything attached to their families in Bonny Island without any delay. 

“We want to call the attention of the Local Government Chairman of the Bonny Local Government Council, the Bonny Chiefs’ Council and the security agencies in Bonny Island that we will work with them in synergy.”

“We will liaise with them to make sure that there is peace in Bonny Island. They should work with the OYC because it is a formidable group that is ready to bring all these boys to book.”