Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Thursday wielded the big stick, sacking the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Chief Okosughe Benson Eseimokumo, following a fresh wave of violence that has rocked the oil-rich area.
The governor also dissolved the community’s council of chiefs, youth body and Community Development Committee, declaring an end to what he described as years of unresolved strife.
The sweeping actions came on the heels of Tuesday’s bloody clash in the community, which reportedly claimed lives and saw houses razed, forcing the state government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Diri announced the decisions during the April 2026 Praise Night held at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa.
In a decisive move to restore order, the governor directed his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, to immediately set up an interim governing committee to run the affairs of the troubled community.
He also ordered the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to fish out those behind the killings and arson, insisting they must face the full weight of the law.
“Enough is enough,” Diri fumed, lamenting that the crisis in Ogboinbiri had lingered for over two years despite repeated interventions by the state government.
“I have been very patient. Committees were set up, meetings held, yet the killings and destruction have continued,” he said.
The governor noted that the sacked monarch had yet to be formally recognised by the state, adding that the continued breakdown of peace made his position untenable.
“I was waiting for peace to return before recognition, but it is clear he cannot hold the community together. We must say no to evil,” Diri declared.
He warned residents against engaging in violent disputes over oil proceeds, describing such benefits as “peanuts” compared to what oil companies rake in.
“We cannot continue to kill ourselves over crumbs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Diri assured Bayelsans that work on the state’s 60-megawatt gas turbine project was nearing completion, urging residents to remain patient as efforts to stabilise power supply intensify.
In his sermon titled *“When Unbelievers Praise God,”* Pastor Daniel Forcados charged the congregation to embrace praise as a pathway to divine intervention, citing the biblical account of Paul and Silas whose midnight worship led to their miraculous freedom.
The state government, however, maintained that restoring peace in Ogboinbiri remains its immediate priority as security agencies intensify operations in the troubled community.
