A pan-Ijaw group, Peremabiri Development Association (PDA) on Sunday challenged dreaded ex-militant leader, Paul Eris, also known as ‘General’ Ogunboss, to come out from his hiding and seek the protection of the court if truly he is responsible for the series of crimes and killings in Bayelsa State.

The organisation also berated the All Progressives Congress (APC‎) for playing politics with the internal crisis in the community.

In a statement by its President, Chief Awolowo Wasiri; Secretary, Chief Profit Enoch; and Publicity Secretary, Alfred Ikiomoye Olotu, the PDA said that using the media to distract attention from the real issue confronting the Niger Delta region would not save Ogunboss from the long arm of the law.

The PDA described as lies claims by Ogunboss that his mother's house and other properties of his relatives were destroyed during the recent military exercise in Peremabiri, adding the rice farm he laid claim to belongs to the Federal Government.

While absolving ‎the Bayelsa State Government of any blame in the military cleansing of their community, the PDA appealed to the Federal Government to go after Ogunboss and his gang as they have become cancer to the people.

The group said that despite accepting the Federal Government's amnesty programme, the ex-warlord “still has a large cache ‎of arms”, adding that until he is brought to justice, indigenes of Peremabiri community would continue to live in fear.

Speaking on the arrest and prosecution of some persons from the community, including the self-acclaimed Paramount Ruler, Wisdom Ogiri, the association asked Ogunboss to go and fulfill their bail conditions rather than resorting to sentiments.

The PDA said: “We have heard the lies and total falsehood of Ogunboss on radio. We make bold to say that what he is battling with now is about moral conscience. ‎Ogunboss does not own the rice farm in Peremabiri, that is a Federal Government project.

“He said he is a retired ‘General’, so let him go and sign the bail bond of those who are standing trial since the court said one of those to guarantee their bail should be a retired General. The Federal Government should not relent until he and his likes are completely flushed out.”

On the allegation that the Paramount Ruler, Chief Progress Never-Die, is not an indigene of Peremabiri, the PDA wondered why Ogunboss and his cohorts were flying that now after he had previously served as a youth leader and Community Development Committee chairman.

The PDA also asked the state chapter of the APC to mind its own business as the ongoing issue does not relate to politics, saying their promotion and celebration of evil was very repulsive.

The group also condemned one Sunday Oputu who they said has no business with Peremabiri as he is from Egbematoru.

The PDA challenged him to go ahead with his threat of suing the Nigeria Police for the baseless allegation ‎of unlawfully detaining well known impostors.

They called on the government, multinational companies and the general public to know that Chief Progress Never-Die remains their paramount ruler that has the due mandate of the people.

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