NDDC board: Ijaw youths block East-West road, shut Bayelsa office

Protesting members of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide on Wednesday morning shut down the Bayelsa office of the Niger Delta Development Commission and blocked the Mbiama-axis of the East-West road over what they called the refusal of the Federal Government to inaugurate a substantive board of the NDDC.

The organisation had given the FG a 30-day ultimatum, which expired on May 25th, for the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs to constitute the board or risk total shutdown of the Niger Delta.

The protest was staged despite the unknown whereabouts of the IYC President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, who was reportedly whisked away to an unknown place by masked gunmen.

Igbifa was said to be on his way to the Port Harcourt airport on Tuesday for a flight to Abuja to attend a meeting when the gunmen blocked his vehicle, seized him and took him away.

Scores of the IYC youths, carrying the flag of the group, were said to have stopped traffic along the East-West road, causing panic among motorists and commuters.