Arms  Conflict

Before the 2003 General Elections, a delegation of the national executive of IYC went to see the governors of Rivers and Bayelsa states and employed them not to rig the elections and that they should allow the  most popular candidates to carry the day. After the visit, the IYC launched the operation “Pull Obasanjo Out” with posters and stickers which were distributed freely all over  the Ijaw Land. When the  2003 elections proper came, there was no resemblance of elections, figures were only allotted to candidates and parties and PDP was allotted the bulk of the votes. The IYC raised alarm   three days after the elections and issued a press statement signed by Alhaji Dokubo-Asari and his secretary Charles Omusuku condemning the denial of the people’s right to choose the candidate of their choice and asked Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and the PDP to return the stolen mandate. Governor Odili called up Alhaji Dokubo-Asari to find out  whether he was actually a signatory to the press release. Alhaji affirmed that he was and that set him on collision course with Dr. Peter Odili and from that day, Alhaji was marked for death. Few months leading to the elections, Alhaji’s father, Hon. Justice Melford Dokubo Godhead was ill and Odili took all the financial responsibility for the treatment of his Father and before the elections Alhaji’s father died on the 17^th of April. Odili, who had shown so much benevolence towards Alhaji during his father’s sickness, also asked him to bring the burial estimates after his Father’s death but because of the condemnation of the elections by Alhaji Dokubo-Asari,  all the financial assistance by the Odili government was withdrawn. Consequently, on the 23^rd of May 2003, while Alhaji was taking his father’s corpse to Buguma for burial, there was a scuffle between those who were on the funeral procession and choba people because of the excesses of  some of the boys in the funeral procession who left their cars to loot the Uniport Junction Choba Market. When Alhaji safely arrived home with his father’s corpse, he decided to go back to Choba to plead with the chiefs and people of Choba and decided to defray all financial losses inquired by the people and to bear all medical expenses for the injured. After finishing with the chief in his residence and promising to return on Sunday to clear all the bills, he was attacked by a mob outside the chief’s residence. Six people in Alhaji’s entourage were murdered by Choba people, while several others were seriously injured.  One Choba indigene was also confirmed dead. The Nigerian Police quickly declared Alhaji Dokubo-Asari wanted for the incident even though there was overwhelming evidence that the people of Choba were responsible for the attack and the attack of Alhaji Dokubo’s entourage was carried out in the very presence of the police.

ATEKE’S INSULT ON THE AMANAYABO OF KALABARI

After the press release condemning the 2003 elections, Alhaji started to receive threats on his phone from unknown persons.  He ignored most of these, but the threats became more and more real and there were open remarks in the media and newspapers condemning Alhaji for his stand on the 2003 elections. He still ignored most of these. It was also at this time that Ateke Tom and Soboma George with tacit   support from the government and the security agents looking the other way started to spread the activities of their group the Icelanders confraternity – a street version of the University based Vikings Confraternity into our towns and villages. People were openly initiated into this cult and politicians in government were openly associating with them and patronizing them. This brought them into open conflict with the “Deygbam” – a   version of the campus Kulklus Klan confraternity and Rivers state became more and more insecured as the 2 cult groups clashed openly in various towns and villages and went on aggressive initiation drive to recruit more members into their cults. Alhaji communicated severally with the Security agencies especially the State Security Service (SSS). All the early warning signs and Alhaji’s persistence that these groups were dangerous was ignored by the government and the security agencies.

Sometimes in July 2003, one David George who was a Community Liason Officer (CLO) for the Buguma Community at the Daewoo construction company who at that time were carrying out the associated Gas Gathering projects at the Cawthorne Channel was removed by the Amanayabo of Kalabari. David instead of appealing to Kalabari elders and chiefs to plead on his behalf, went and reported to Ateke Tom. Ateke Tom sent a delegation led by his Point One in Buguma, one Peter Princewill to the Amanayabo, asking him to reverse his decision or else anybody sent by the Amanayabo to replace David George in Daewoo would be killed. When this was reported to Alhaji, he quickly called Ateke Tom who denied it. But Ateke followers in Kalabari started to threaten Alhaji Dokubo-Asari openly for daring to question the god father. Before then, a funeral procession of Mrs. Black on its way to fouche in Degema Local Government Area was intercepted along the Bakana River. Several members of the funeral party were killed and the corpse carried away because one of the children of the deceased was said to be a member of the Deygbam Cult and Alhaji openly voiced his resentment and called on the government to have pity as Rivers State was slowly sliding into full blown anarchy as the government and the security agents refused to curb the excesses of the Icelanders and Deygbam cult groups.

THE 11^TH OCTOBER ATTACK

On the 11^th of October 2003, a meeting of chiefs of the Elebabene section of the King Amachree Royal House was convened at the residence of Chief S.O Princewill former regent and chairman Kalabari Se Kobiri. In attendance, were Chief Bar. O.T Amachree,   Chief Senibo Princewill, the then publicity secretary of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Chief Benonai Princewill, Chief Levi Douglas, Chief Owuso Amachree, Chief Charles Dolphin Amachree, Chief Ibifuro LongJohn, Chief Solo O Princewill, Elder Opubo Princewill and Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari. Before Alhaji left for the venue of the meeting, he felt very uneasy and asked his big sister, Dr. Doris Fisher, to loan him her official car to him to use in attending the meeting. In granting his request, she said in return I hope this will not be another Choba reminding Alhaji of the incident of Choba which led to the death of some members of his father’s funeral entourage. Not satisfied, he went home to pick his licenced automatic pump action cartridge gun and proceeded to the venue of the meeting. Chief Paworiso Samuel Horsefall was supposed to be part of the meeting because of the expectation of  Chief Paworiso, Mr,. OJJ Braide came to the venue to wait for Paworiso’s arrival after waiting for Paworiso for an hour, a call came from him saying he could not attend the meeting because of a fire incident on his private business premises. OJJ Braide left the venue of the meeting to go and meet up Pasworiso. Not quite fifteen minutes after OJJ Braide left, hell got loosed as masked gun men came from Bishop Johnson waterside and Tourist beach to attack the venue of the meeting. Alhaji tried to call all his police contacts but they were all switched off and he managed to get Godwin Obielum, the commander of swift operations force who promised to send police rescue team. The gunmen left mainly due to the resistance put up by Isobo Ojuka with the automatic cartridge riffle. The matter was reported to the police and nothing was done till date.

On the 17^th of October 2003, Alhaji issued a press statement warning that those who were responsible for the several attempts on his life and those who have made life hell for the people of Rivers State, would be brought to book. In the press statement Alhaji Dokubo-Asari pointed accusing finger on Ateke Tom and His Icelanders Cult funded by the then Government of Rivers State.

After the press conference, Ateke Tom came out openly to challenge Alhaji Dokubo-Asari to a fight and that he will even give him 30 Million Naira to help him prepare and commence the fight with him.

Alhaji Dokubo-Asari left Port Harcourt and went underground which was later discovered to be Warri in the house of his friend Hon. Timinimi George from where he plotted his return to Port Harcourt.

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