…urges him not to bow to pressure to pull out personnel from the area

…wants government to investigate those behind such pressure

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo 

The natives of Okomu in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State have commended the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army led by Brigadier General Ebenezer Olusesan Oduyebo, for the sustenance of peace in the community and its environs.

Speaking to INFO DAILY on behalf of the community, the Ibe Uyadonwei of Okomu Kingdom, Chief Edwin Denmene, said if not for the efforts of the Brigadier General and his men, Okomu would be a conquerred territory in the hand of one Lawrence Yanbor and his gang.

INFO DAILY recalled that Lawrence Yanbor and his gang on 13 May, 2024 invaded Okomu community in the night and razed down over 30 modern structures in the community. Lawrence Yanbor, alongside his cohorts also held the community to ransom and on one of the occasions precisely 7 June, 2024, shot the paramount ruler of the kingdom.

Chief Denmene who noted that the “Brigadier General has been so professional and has not been biased or taken side in the matter,” urged him to continue the good work.

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Also commending the 4 Brigade personnel for a work well done, the Ibe Egberigbawei (spokesman) of Okomu Kingdom, Chief Freeman Cousin, noted that if not for the military personnel stationed in the area, Okomu would have been amongst the committee of communities under the watchlist of the state government for cultism and kidnapping, alleging that Lawrence Yanbor and his gang are culprits.

Chief Cousin, who alleged that there have been plans by some influential persons to pressure the Commander of the 4 Brigade to pull out his men from the area, urged Brigadier General Oduyebo not to bow to such pressure no matter how highly placed such pressure may be coming from.

“We have been hearing that some influential persons, specifically sponsors of Lawrence Yanbor and his gang are pressuring the 4 Brigade and Abuja to pull out the military personnel from the area. We want to passionately appeal to the 4 Brigade General and the people in Abuja not to bow to such pressure. He has been doing fantastically well, and we appreciate it, so he shouldn’t bow to such pressure,” he pleaded.

Corroborating Chief Cousin’s allegation, Hon. Amokachi Peretei, who also commended the Brigadier General Oduyebo and his men for the maintenance of peace in the community and its environs, expressed the fear that if the Commander bowed to such pressure and pulled out his men from the area, Okomu would become history.

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“They want the military personnel to leave the area so they can perpetrate their evil works by attacking the community particularly those they perceive as their enemies. If the military personnel leave Okomu and its environs, no one is safe,” he added.

On his part, Chief Rickson Nanaghan called on the government “both federal and state to investigate those lobbing for the pulling out of the military personnel in the area, and not only investigation, the government should bring them to justice.”

Also lending his voice, Comrade Samson Yanbor, an indigene of the community who made reference to how Lawrence Yanbor and his gang gave a seven-day ultimatum to the Yoruba farmers in the area to vacate recently, noted that if not for the presence of the military, Lawrence Yanbor would have succeeded, adding that he would have used that opportunity to loot and burn down houses.

“Recently, Lawrence Yanbor gave the Yoruba farmers an ultimatum to vacate the area. He said he had an operation to carry out so they should leave the area. When did Lawrence become government that he should be giving an ultimatum to a people to leave a particular area so that he can carry out his operation? Is he government? Besides, which operation does he have to carry out that he had the audacity to tell a people to leave, if not for looting,” Samson Yanbor questioned.

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Also speaking, Dr Atele Biriodoubrah. The Ibe-Bolowoniwei of Okomu Kingdom, on behalf of the kingdom pleaded to the Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo to replicate what did in Ehor, Edo State, in Okomu by establishing Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the area.

“We need a Forward Operational Base in the area. We, therefore, plead to Governor Monday Okpebholo to help us establish a Forward Operational Base (FOB) in our community as he has done for the people of Ehor in the state,”  he said.

He named Opuba as the hiding place for Lawrence Yanbor and his gang, urging the military and other security agencies to look into this direction.