FINIMA CARNAGE: PETITION TO COMMISSIONER OF POLICE RIVERS STATE BY BONNY YOUTH FEDERATION

The Commissioner of Police,
Rivers State Police Command,
Moscow Road,
Port-Harcourt

Dear Sir,

A JOINT PETITION BY THE BONNY YOUTH FEDERATION AND THE BONNY CHIEFTAINCY HOUSES YOUTH LEADERS FORUM AGAINST MR. INYO BROWN, WITH REGARDS TO AN ATTEMPTED MURDER OF OUR DELEGATE, MR. YOUNG TOBIN

First, we bring to you the compliments and best wishes of the new month.

Sir, The Subject Matter refers;

1. We are members of the Central Executive Council of the Okoloma Asawo na Ereawo Kubiri popularly called Bonny Youth Federation, BYF and the Bonny Chieftaincy Houses Youth Leaders Forum.
2. The BYF is the apex youth body in Bonny Local Government Area, recognized by both the Traditional Institution and the Local Government Council while the Youth Leaders Forum is an association of the youth leaders of the 34 Chieftaincy Houses of Bonny Kingdom.
3. We write to bring to your notice an attempted murder of, Mr. Young Tobin, a delegate of the Bonny Youth Federation and member of its cultural committee, which occurred on the 27th of September 2025 on the Traditional Playground of the Tobin Chieftaincy House of Finima, Bonny Kingdom.
4. On the aforementioned date, While the Tobin House Owu-Ogbo was holding its cultural play at Tobin House Square (Shiri), a bus clearly marked BOBH Asawo, meaning (Buo-Ye-Omuso Brown House Asawo) arrived carrying armed young men.
5. These men, wielding machetes, clubs, and allegedly firearms, launched a brutal assault on participants, forcefully halting the event, and chasing Tobin House members and their guests, including visitors from other Chieftaincy Houses from their ancestral square. The injuries inflicted were severe, with many sustaining deep cuts and beatings.
6. In the midst of the pandemonium, a certain Mr. Inyo Brown of the Elder Lambert Gogo Brown led Buo-Ye-Omuso Brown House of Finima, Bonny Kingdom, was spotted unleashing a certain liquid substance on Mr. Young Tobin, a delegate of our association, the BYF.
7. It turned out that the liquid poured on Mr. Young Tobin was acidic substance, as shortly after his act, the skin of our brother and delegate, Mr. Young Tobin began to peel off vigorously with excruciating burning pains.
8. We consider this unfortunate attack on Mr. Young Tobin an assassination attempt, as the action was deliberate and intentional, good Ven that Mr. Inyo Brown made a direct approach to the victim on whom he poured the acid, resulting in severe burns of which he is passing through excruciating pains as at today.
9. Given certain actions from certain quarters as we will explain below, We are convinced that this barbaric act was premeditated and carefully orchestrated. Our belief is so reinforced by the threatening letters issued days prior to the masquerade event in which our delegate, participated, himself being a bona fide member of Tobin House and it’s Owu-Ogbo society.: The letters were from the Finima Opu-Ogbo leadership, and from the Administrative Secretary of the faction of Brown House loyal to Elder Lambert Gogo Brown (a self styled Amadabo of Finima) respectively.
10. Both letters referred above, carried unmistakable threats against Tobin House Owu-Ogbo members leaving much to be desired, and as the saying goes, “a witch cried at night, and a child died in the morning.”
11. As youth leaders, Our preliminary findings reveal that the root of this conflict lies in Finima Opu-Ogbo’s insistence that Tobin House cannot operate its Owu-Ogbo within Finima Community.
12. This position, respected Commissioner of Police, is both baseless and dangerous, as it is alien to our customs and traditions, For purposes of clarity Sir, It is trite knowledge in Bonny Kingdom that every Chieftaincy House is traditionally entitled among other things, to its own Aruwari, Opuwari, Eremina-Ogbo, Alali-Aru, and indeed, an Owu-Ogbo, therefore the Tobin House, being one of the ancient Chieftaincy Houses in Bonny, established in the early 1800s, same time with the Brown Major Chieftaincy House, acted well within its rights.
13. There are precedents everywhere in Bonny Kingdom, The Jack Manilla-Pepple, Jackmay, LongJohn Houses and others maintain Owu-Ogbo in their communities. In Abalamabie, both the LongJohn House (a Major House) and the Jack Manilla-Pepple House (a Minor House) coexist with their Owu-Ogbo. Why then should Tobin House be singled out and denied this right in Finima?
14. Where exemptions may apply, is where there is an Ogbokoroama within a community, then some engagements may apply, and even this is not done in such a manner as to eliminate members of a Chieftaincy House, In any case the Finima Opu-Ogbo is not an Ogbokoroama in the strictest terms and traditions of Ibani people, therefore cannot require and expect subservience of any sort from a properly constituted Chieftaincy House Owu-Ogbo.
15. Even if, hypothetically, Tobin House were wrong (which we strongly dispute), nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies the level of violence unleashed on them last Saturday. Should lives have been lost, what would have been the outcome for peace and coexistence in Bonny Kingdom?
16. This is not the first time the said faction of Brown House has acted recklessly. Only months ago, they flagrantly violated our customs, Bonny’s constitutional provisions as well as existing court orders by attempting to install and create Chieftaincy Houses, a role reserved solely for the Amanyanabo-in-Council. A provocative action considered by many to have been a brazen affront and slap on the face of Ibani tradition and the Constitution of Bonny Kingdom.
17. By this recent behaviour, The pattern of provocation from this faction has now reached alarming levels which If unchecked, may inevitably breed xenophobia, lawlessness, and a cycle of violence in Finima, Community of Bonny Kingdom with youths as both the primary actors and casualties. This is a dangerous path for our Kingdom which we do not want and for what reason we are making this report to your good office.
18. For this reason, we urge you to act swiftly and decisively as this matter of attempted murder must not be swept under the carpet, but treated with the seriousness it deserves, no matter whose ox is gored.
19. It is worth recalling that the Finima community is within close proximity of a federal asset, the NLNG Gas plant and other multinational interests, should a violence free zone such as is capable of harboring suspected murderous tendencies, be allowed to fester and be established, it can have ripple effects which does not bode well for Bonny Local Government Area.
20. The evidence is clear, There are videos and pictures of the act from which the perpetrators, if put under investigative scrutiny, can be identified, The threatening letters themselves carry signatures of those who appear to be overtly or covertly, instigators of this violence, The BOBH Asawo bus itself is undeniable proof of the source of the attack, Yet, days have passed with not a single arrest.
21. This silence is deeply unsettling, more so the manner with which the Divisional Police Officer of the Finima Police Command, distanced himself and his officers from the incidence, is extremely disappointing and leaves much to be desired, It raises a dangerous question in the minds of our youth: Is it now permissible to commit violent crimes in Bonny without consequence? If so, let it be openly declared, so that the same standard applies to all.
22. Commissioner of Police, Sir, we rest our hope on your sense of justice, professionalism, leadership and zero tolerance for criminality, We believe you will not allow impunity to fester, nor permit Bonny Kingdom to slide into avoidable chaos.
23. We represent the youth of Bonny Kingdom, therefore demand the following without delay:
24. A full-scale investigation into the attempted murder of our brother and member, Mr. Young Tobin by Mr. Inyofa Brown on September 27th 2025
25. Immediate arrests and prosecution of all identified perpetrators of this dastardly act inclusive of their sponsors.
26. Appropriate sanctions against those found guilty, to serve as deterrence and to restore confidence in the rule of law.

Should these steps not be taken with the urgency they deserve, we will, as law-abiding citizens, be left with no choice but to escalate our petition to higher Federal and International authorities to ensure justice is not denied.

We therefore submit this appeal for your urgent and firm action in the interest of peace, justice, and the preservation of our cherished customs.

While thanking you in anticipation of your timely intervention, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.