By Emma Amaize

WARRI – AN ex-militant commander in Delta State, Mark Ebiotu, alias Single Bullet, yesterday, said what could have been a bloodbath between the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups during last weekend’s regatta by the  Itsekiri to honour the Olu of Warri, was warded off  by ex-militants, who rebuffed sponsors of the aborted war.

Ebiotu, who spoke to Vanguard, said: “We were approached by leaders of an Ijaw community (name withheld) to support them to fight against the Itsekiri as we did in those years foolishly. We told them no, and that we were ex-militants and could not take up arms against our Itsekiri brothers.

“We told them that we have a common enemy, from the North, who we will team up to confront. After the Warri crisis of 2003, the Ogbe-Ijoh and Gbaramatu Kingdom criminalised us by giving us all sorts of names. Never again will we be used as robots.

“There was a serious division among the Ijaw in Warri and environs over last week’s Itsekiri national festival.  Majority of the ex-militants opposed the call for war.

“What happened is  a warning to all ex-militants in Warri never to be deceived again by an individual, group or Ijaw communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area to be used as robots to fight their Itsekiri opponents. We need peace in Warri and nobody will use us to fight to negotiate political positions in Delta.”