The President, Urhobo Progressive Union, Youth Wing, Mr Efemena Umukoro, on Sunday, raised the alarm over the activities of the armed youths in some local government areas of Delta State and called for a crackdown.
Umukoro, in a telephone conversation in Asaba, Delta State capital, on Sunday, noted that “When youths perpetrate crime, it is the traditional institution that suffers the consequences, because those behind the crisis often escape.”
He, therefore, warned traditional rulers in the state to expose the activities of such groups in their respective domains, to avoid a repeat of the indignity suffered by the monarch of the Ewu kingdom in the hands of security agencies, following the killings of the military officers and men at Okuama.
“To avoid the embarrassment suffered by one of our monarchs, following the Okuama community crisis, we must as a people continue to suggest to and advise our royal fathers to be conscious of the activities of youths in their respective communities.
“The activities of an armed security organisation by our youth group are very alarming.
“Youth leaders in many communities have cells where they extort money, harass and detain chemist shop owners who fail to pay money to them. This is now prevalent in the Ughelli South and Ethiope East area of the state,” he said.
The UPU youth president said any Urhobo youth leader going about to recruit youths in the name of any security team should be arrested.
“I want to say that the objective of UPU is to protect the rights and privileges of Urhobo people and advocate for their betterment, and not to engage in organising any security outfit that is not backed by law.
“Urhobo youth leaders going about recruiting youths in the name of security team should be arrested because the UPU does not condone such criminality.
“The issue of Okuama should serve as a warning to other Urhobo traditional rulers that youths do not have the power to constitute armed security teams under any guise,” he noted.
