By Emem Idio

YENAGOA—A group, Bayelsa Renaissance Movement, BRM, has commended the Department of State Services, DSS, over the arrest of the traditional ruler of Agrisaba community, Bayelsa State, King Walter Agri. Agri was picked up by operatives of the DSS in Yenagoa and taken to the command headquarters, where he has been undergoing interrogation.

BRM, in a statement in Yenagoa, said that contrary to claims by some elders of Agrisaba that the monarch was picked up in relation to the protest against Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, the monarch was allegedly picked up due to the lingering boundary dispute between Agrisaba and Oluasiri communities, both in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

According to the coordinator of the group, Rondson Irokari, preliminary investigations by the group indicated that the DSS was investigating several events connected to the boundary dispute, including the attack on one King Awululu of Oluasiri community.

Irokari, who disclosed that the boundary dispute could spark off violence between the two communities because of oil royalties, said a thorough investigation by the DSS would establish those who have been fomenting trouble in the area as he appealed for calm from Agrisaba youths and elders and urged them to allow the DSS to perform its duties in order to prevent a break-down of law and order in the area.

He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a  statement by Chief Tobin Esau from Agrisaba on the arrest of King Agri by the DSS. We want to state that contrary to misrepresentation of facts by the statement that the monarch was arrested in connection with the community protest against Agip, the arrest, from information at our disposal, is linked to the lingering boundary dispute between Agrisaba and Oluasiri communities.

“You will recall that recently, King Awululu of Oluasiri was attacked and left in a pool of his blood. The case is before security agencies. The DSS, in performance of its duties, has stepped into the matter to prevent a breakdown of law and order between the two communities because of the oil royalties involved. We want to appeal for calm and allow DSS to do its investigation for the perpetrators of violence to face the full wrath of the law.”