Lucky Tubotu,an indigene of Bilabiri 1&2 communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has clarified the statements he made regarding armed youths recruited into the communities following heightened insecurity in the communities occasioned by the activities of Ebimene Abaka,Tekena Abaka and others.
Tubotu in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Capital titled “Setting the Record Straight,Clarifying Misunderstood Statement” said he only re-echoed what Ebimene Akaba and the Chairman of Bilabiri 1 community Tekena Abaka told the people that the armed youths in the communities were employed by an erstwhile Governor Elect of Bayelsa State to carry out a contract awarded to his company.
Tubotu in a reaction to an online report by Mangrovepen titled “Darlon absolves Lyon from Bilabiri 1 & 2 Communities Crisis”,said he was misquoted and it is highly regrettable.
He said his statement was very clear and did not allude to David Lyon’s company as responsible for the armed youths in Bilabiri 1 & 2 communities but only re-echoed what Ebimene Abaka and Tekena Abaka told the communities when he enquired about the presence of armed youths in their communities.
He said his statement was very clear…… “Ebimene Abaka (Small Fire) claimed that David Lyon, the erstwhile Governor elect of Bayelsa State, gave him a contract in the oil and gas sector, hence the armed youths were invited to the community for the job.We wonder if armed criminal gang work for David Lyon?.
“These people, Ebimene Abaka (Small Fire), Tekena Abaka and Bright Wilson Isopi are known killers. I call on the federal government to use its military might to dismantle this gang, protect our people and communities, prosecute and bring them to justice”.
He distanced himself from any false statements designed to tarnish his hard earned reputation adding that he never accused David Lyon or his company of arming youths to carry out a contract awarded to him in the oil and gas industry.
According to him,the youths were recruited from Bilabiri 1 & 2, Letugbene, Amatu 1 & 2, Bisangbene and Ogbotobo communities in the guise of giving them slots to work in a contract awarded to an oil and gas company only for them to be armed by Ebimene Abaka (Small Fire) and Tekena Abaka.
Tubotu affirmed that the people of Bilabiri 1&2 communities are leaving in fear. I appeal to the military and other security agencies to come to our rescue and save the communities from being taken over by the armed youths,because the community general election is coming up in December 2024 and Tekena Abaka does not want to handover hence causing tension in the community.
” I have received several threat messages directly which he posted on our community WhatsApp platform and indirectly from Tekena Abaka threatening to deal decisively with me. President Bola Tinubu, Governor Duoye Diri, security agencies, and the world at large should know, if anything happens to me they should be held responsible “.