The peace we enjoy in Ebiraland is enough to make Yahaya Bello the Hero of the land »

I have reason to believe that many do not know the story of Ebira people in Kogi central before now. Those who are living witness to what bedeviled the land appreciate the governor of Kogi State Alh Yahaya Bello for restoring peace, love and oneness to the good people of Ebiraland.
Ebira means good character or behavior. For over a decade, the Ebira people live the opposite of this name. Let me take you down few of the sour days in what is today a peaceful land called Kogi Central.

The crises that engulfed Ebiraland was at first instance political. In 1999 democracy returns to Nigeria and that seems the beginning of the trouble in the land. From political crises to religious and traditional upheaval.

Inter and intra local government crises, from Okene to Adavi, Ihima and Adavi, the land was never peaceful. Commuters always inquire if Okene is free to pass and if not they prefer taking the Long route than Okene township road. Economic life of the city crumbled. Mr Bigs a popular eatery joint burnt down, banks were closed down all for fear of the unknown.

Religious activities were observed in apprehension as one sect is heinously trailing another one. They entered each other’s house and carryout murder in broad daylight. The other group who’s person was murdered will also stage a revenge.
Act of barbarism became a norm and as well seems established in the land. Crises assumed the position of a football league where one group will come out after attacking the other to say, one zero and when the other stage a counter attack, they will say, one, one in that order.

There was a notable man in Okene that was slaughtered like animal 😭. People could not sleep with their two years closed. There was massive exodus from the land to neighbouring states of Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Abuja.

Between 2004 to 2007, it was a history that can never be forgotten till eternity. Within this year was when army invaded Ebiraland, kill 5 innocent men. One of them was an okada man. Their bodies were brought to FMC Lokoja, dumped outside. The bodies begin to swell and decay to the point that when you stand or pass post office you need to cover your nose as the stinking bodies of the innocent brothers was oozing from FMC Lokoja to the road.

One day, a masquerade was arrested, brought to Lokoja, unmasked and asked the ancestor to start doing frog jump.
What of the 3 months provocative interim government of Rt Hon Clarence Olafemi who asked late Mike Okiro the then IG of police to order his men to shoot at sight any of the youths asking for justice on illegal mining in Itakpe.

The height and unforgettable crises which is the mother of all crises in Ebira land is the Ihima crises that lasted for close to 5 years of the 9 years of Ibro/Philip regime. That crises was a consistent one for 5, years. It claimed the life of my uncle. Uncle Usman (RIP) was running from mob who were approaching his house. He was however rescued by a good neighbor but was asked to hide in the roof. The mob suspected that he ran into that room and since the people said he is not there, they decided to mount 24 hours surveillance on the building. Uncle Usman slept in the roof till the following morning. It was in the roof he used his phone to call a driver to come and pick him. When he finally escaped after the mob left, he developed health issues and died later.

A young man from the one of the clan was murdered in Oboroke. His throat was sliced. Painfully we spoke a day to his untimely and premstured death.
In Ihima then, you will be perceiving awful odour of dead men. In most cases, you would step on decomposed body before you realize.

These are few I can mention. Many young men were cut short of life. Women became widows, children orphans in the years under review.
Years after, God answered the prayers of the good people of Ebiraland by giving them Alh Yahaya Bello. Since assumption of office in 2016 till today, the land has recovered her lost glory in quadruplet. Peace was restored. Economy of the land regain prominence, festivals observed without fear. Religious activities were observed with ease. Masquerade activities either be peaceful or cancelled if there is sign of problem.
People now come home for religious festivals, christmas, salah, Easter and Maulud. Traditional festivals like Ekuechi, éché ané, ebe and so on assumed it entertaining status.

I was surprised how Ebira land flows with people during December period. Hotels that could not make any reasonable turnover, will make in just one month what they couldn’t make in 9 months. Sons of the land all over Nigeria book for hotel space two, three weeks ahead of home coming.

This has been happening for the past 6 years. If there is no peace how can such happened. Someone is responsible for this peace. If we don’t have Yahaya Bello, we wouldn’t have had Peace.

Today we are proud of a science university, a first class world hospital, upgraded traditional rulers. Good road network, educational intervention, unity and harmonious coexistence.
What else do Ebira people want? How can our traditional rulers and elders fold their arms, open their eyes and watch this peace erode the land through the activities of one person who by right has no right in Ebira land again? If we do not have a governor, can we possibly achieve all these?

This prosperity in the land must be sustained. I maintain, whoever is trying to return us back to the days of pain, agony, fear, restlessness, untold hardship, such person will collide with Ira Chenyi. It is not a curse to be scared of if anyone is not trying to take us back to painful days.
His excellency Alh Yahaya Bello has worked hard to restore peace in Ebira land and as the chief security officer of the land, he must also make sure the peace he painstakingly established must be sustained.

Lawal Ozomata James
Writes from Lokoja