An Ijaw nationality and civil rights group, Embasara Foundation, on Monday urged Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and Mr. Timipre Sylva, a former governor of the State to halt electoral violence and political killings in Ijawland.

Spokesman for Embasara Foundation, Dr Ayekeme Whiskey, who made the appeal during a press conference in Yenagoa on Monday, said that the group condemned the attack on military personnel that resulted in killings at Abonema and other Ijaw settlements in Bayelsa.

“As a non-partisan political pressure group, Embasara Foundation strongly appeals to all parties involved in this dastardly killing and escalation of tension to immediately sheath their swords.

“We have it on good authority that the primary cause of this ugly episode in Ijawland was the reckless infiltration of Abenema community with political thugs to gain advantage during the Presidential election of February 23.

“The aftermath of that thoughtless act was the killing of innocent Ijaw boys, some of whom took the laws into their hands to engage the military in armed confrontation that led to the death of an army lieutenant.

“The soldiers then went on a reckless rampage and killed scores of Ijaw youths in retaliation. This is incomprehensible and totally condemnable,” Whiskey said.

The group condemned the killing of agents of government “who were merely discharging their legitimate duty,” adding that the act was regrettable as it has also brought untold apprehension tension and threat to the lives of innocent women, children and men of Abonema community.

Whiskey said that the recourse to killings of innocent people in the name of election was sacrilegious and therefore unacceptable.

On the speculations that the families the two people killed on February 23 polls were planning a reprisal attack, he urged Governor Dickson to rise above partisan interest and nip the attack in the bud.

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