Abducted IYC president regains freedom, says no going back on protest

The President of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Peter Timothy Igbifa, has regained freedom.

Igbifa was abducted on his way to the airport in Port Harcourt, one day to the the mass protest the youth body declared over President Muhammadu Buhari’s delay in constituting a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

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Igbifa said the gunmen that took him away had demanded a cancellation of the protest.

He said his assailants set him free on Wednesday night, noting that with the help of persons, who recognised him, he was able to get to the Bayelsa State Police Headquarters in Yenagoa where he was debriefed by the police commissioner.

The IYC boss said after a brief meeting with the police commissioner, he met with the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was worried over his ordeal.

He said: “I didn’t know the places they took me to because I was blindfolded. All they wanted me to do was to call off the protest. They wanted me to do a video asking the youths to back down.

“But I told them that I already did a video in the morning asking them to go ahead with the protest even if I was kidnapped, arrested or killed.

“They became frustrated when they saw the protest going on at many places in the region. I also told them that I won’t betray the principles of our struggle.

“I am more than ever determined to continue with the protest. My experience has not intimidated me and the protest will be more intensed

“Whatever meeting they held without me is null and void. I didn’t authorise the meeting and its outcome is not binding on IYC and the Ijaw nation. We have taken a decision and that is final. It is a board or nothing.

“What are they even doing in Abuja? I know the kind of pressure I faced and bogus offers I got to frustrate this protest, but I turned down all of them because I can’t betray my people and the Niger Delta must move forward. Therefore, they are on their own,” he added.

Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, SP Asinim Butswat, confirmed the release, saying he was found at Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government at about 10pm on Wednesday.