An uneasy calm in Warri is palpable going by the angry agitations of youths of the area. Concerned citizens and residents are also worried by the tension in the atmosphere.
This is because a young man, Joseph Pessu was allegedly killed by the stray bullet of a soldier who tried to enforce the sit-at-home order issued by the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
Reports reaching us say that Pessu had driven out to get a drug for his pregnant fiancee while there was an altercation on the streets of Warri between the youth and law enforcement agents comprising the army and the police.
Unfortunately, a bullet from one of the trigger-happy soldiers hit Pessu. The angry youth retaliated by killing a soldier. It is however not clear if the deceased soldier was responsible for Pessu’s death.
However, both the youth and the soldiers in the city are spoiling for a show down. The tension is more so as one of the soldiers is seen in this video monitored making the rounds of social media handles, threatening to have his colleagues and himself rape the women in the Warri and infect everyone of them with HIV:
Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN) who is also an indigene of Warri, on Thursday, personally wrote to the youth to stay calm and maintain law and order.
Keyamo’s Letter:
“THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
PRESS STATEMENT BY FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIARB (UK),
HON. MINISTER OF STATE (LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT),
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA I CONDEMN THE KILLING OF INNOCENT LIVE(S) IN WARRI BY SOLDIERS ENFORCING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
I have received disturbing reports and images of the high-handedness and shooting of innocent citizens by men of the armed forces deployed to enforce the COVID-19 lockdown in my State, Delta State.
Specifically, I have received reports of the killing of an innocent young man, Mr. Joseph Pessu in Warri. I unreservedly condemn this barbaric act by men of the armed forces who should exercise restraint when dealing with the civilian populace.
I will be forwarding a petition to the relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this murder and bring the officer(s) to book. In the interim, let us not take the laws into our hands, please.
I will also use this medium to sincerely appeal to my brothers and sisters in Delta State to be law-abiding and obey the orders of restrictions imposed by both the Delta State Government and the Federal Government.
They are lawful orders and they are for our own good. Images and reports of attack on law-enforcement agents by the civilian populace do not help our cause.
I call on all and sundry in the entire country too to exercise the utmost restraint at this point.
Thank you
Festus Keyamo, SAN, FCIArb(UK)
Hon. Minister”
Another concerned citizen of Warri, Tamaraukuro Pere-Owei Forteta is no less disturbed about the uneasy calm in the area.
Forteta pleads with State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in a letter monitored on Sahara Reporters to intervene and bring peace back to the area.
Forteta’s letter to the governor:
“Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Authur Okowa
The Executive Governor of Delta State
Governent house Asaba.
Your Excellency,
I write with the highest sense of humility and respect for your exalted and prestigious office.
I am constrained to make open my message to you for the singular reason of standing in solidarity with our dear people of Delta especially citizens residing in Warri.
As you already know sir, tensions are already high and that is threatening the ever fragile peace we have in warri. The sit at home order you gave was largely obeyed, in spite of the Overzealousness, unprofessional conduct and unsolicited intimidation on the part of some of our security operatives!
I also wish to draw your attention to the disturbing news that a citizen of Delta State Joseph Pessu was Shot dead today in ugbuwange, warri. His only sin was that he defiled the lock down to get drugs for his pregnant fiance.
You would recall sir, that you announced that persons providing essential services such as Pharmacist and health workers are exempted from the lock down. I beg to ask, If someone could be killed for simply heading to the pharmacy, what would be the faith of the common man who goes across the street to get maggi, salt or sugar to drink the little garri they have, from the in house shops that could operate under your order?
The current situation in warri could snowball into serious anarchy if not properly handled.
While we understand that the economic fortunes of our dear state is currently dwindling due to Oil price crash and this current epidemic and so it would be ultimately unpatriotic to put you under any form of financial pressure to provide palliatives for our people at this time,
We trust your timing and we pray Almighty God in his infinite mercies and wisdom will give you the grace, strength and knowledge needed to pilot our state to greatness even in these trying times.
Going forward your excellency, I want to on behalf of Delta people demand a full scale investigation into the matter and the perpetrators of this barbaric act brought to justice in the full glare of the public. This letter is in no way to spite you your excellency,
By the grace of God I voted for you twice(2015 and 2019) I dare say that Nobody from my area can claim to be more pro-okowa than I am. I am fully aware that some of our misguided leaders and unfriendly friends would keep screen shots of this letter to score cheap political points and most definitely to position themselves as enemies of progress as usual.
Your excellency, these overzealous politicians would never donate a dime to assist our people in these precarious times nor would they assist the needy or less privileged in our society,
They would not participate in the various sensitization programmes your government is spearheading, rather you will only see them when it is time to remove names of so called ungrateful youths .
They would keep a copy of this letter work against themselves(Not me).
Thank you and God bless you.
Tamaraukuro Pere-owei Forteta is name.
I rise!
Softbosstf@gmail.com”
