The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, has called for the immediate release of a member of the House of Representatives, Farah Dagogo, an Ijaw man, arrested on the alleged orders of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

Dagogo was arrested over an allegation of violence against the Secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers.

The IYC noted that despite their call on Wike to rescind his arrest order against Dagogo, he still went ahead to arrest and arraign him.

In a statement on Friday, by the national spokesman for IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, the Council called on the court to immediately release Dagogo as the charges against him were politically motivated.

The IYC said: “We may not be a partisan political body, the arrest and arraignment of Hon. Fara Dagogo is in bad taste to the Ijaws. While it may seem Wike is deliberately ignoring the calls by the youths of the region, we call on the court not to allow itself to be used in an effort to get political revenge over the choice to support any presidential aspirants within the PDP

“Already, despite the calls by stakeholders on Wike to give a level playing field to all those who are vying to become the governor of Rivers in the next governorship election, the arrest of Dagogo will be viewed as showing that there is no level playing field. There is a selective witch-hunt in the processes leading to the selection of governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.

“This is totally unacceptable and we are calling on the security agencies in the state to carry out their duties professionally as any attempt to intimidate Farah Dogogo and any other Ijaw son by the Rivers government at a time the Ijaw nation is clamouring for a riverine governor will be seen as an affront.” (The Nation)

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