Bayelsa Crisis: Gov. Douye Diri Sacks Ogboinbiri Monarch, Dissolves Chiefs After Deadly Violence
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has ordered the immediate removal of the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Chief Okosughe Benson Eseimokumo, following the protracted crisis rocking the area.
The governor, who announced the decision on Thursday during the April 2026 Praise Night at the King of Glory Chapel in Government House, Yenagoa, also directed the dissolution of the Ogboinbiri council of chiefs, the Community Development Committee, and the youth leadership structure.
The decision comes in the wake of Tuesday’s violent unrest that resulted in loss of lives and widespread arson, a situation that forced the state government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the community.
PulseNets learnt that the Bayelsa governor further mandated his deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, alongside the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, to immediately constitute an interim governing committee to manage the affairs of Ogboinbiri pending the restoration of peace and order.
PulseNets reported that the governor also instructed the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to ensure the swift arrest and prosecution of individuals directly linked to the violence.
The governor clarified that Chief Eseimokumo had not yet been formally recognised by the state government due to the lingering disputes within the community.
His words:
“Security is everyone’s business. The state has been peaceful except for the unfortunate recent incident of killing and arson in Ogboinbiri community.
“I have been very patient with Ogboinbiri community. Violent disputes had been on for about two to three years now.
“I had set up different committees to resolve the lingering conflict there to no avail. I even directed my deputy to intervene. I invited the traditional ruler and the youths to my office in Yenagoa and, yet, recently there was killing and burning of houses.
“The Commissioner of Police and all security agencies are hereby directed to ensure that all those directly involved in that dastardly act are arrested and the law must take its full course. To that extent, all youth-related bodies in Ogboinbiri are from this day dissolved. The CDC from this day stands dissolved.
“The paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri is hereby sacked as he was yet to be recognised by the state government. I was waiting for peace to be restored for us to recognise him but, unfortunately, l am very sure he cannot hold that community together. We must say no to the evil acts in Ogboinbiri.”
Governor Diri also raised concerns over recurring violent clashes in oil-producing communities, attributing such crises to disputes over revenue sharing from oil companies operating in those areas.
“We cannot afford to kill ourselves for pecuniary gains or for whatever reasons. Ogboinbiri is an oil producing community and l keep telling them that what they are receiving are peanuts compared to what the oil companies get from Ogboinbiri,” he said.
On infrastructure, PulseNets learnt that the governor provided an update on the state’s 60-megawatt gas turbine project, noting that technical work at the power facility was nearing completion. He urged residents to remain patient, stressing that his administration has invested significant resources to deliver stable electricity supply across the state.
Earlier, in a sermon titled: “When Unbelievers Praise God,” Pastor Daniel Forcados underscored the importance of praise and worship as a pathway to divine intervention in challenging times.
The cleric described God as the Supreme Being who governs all creation without discrimination, citing the universal benefit of sunlight as an example of divine impartiality.
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Referencing Acts 16:16-40, he recounted the biblical account of Paul and Silas, who, despite being imprisoned for preaching Christianity, chose to sing hymns instead of lamenting, leading to a miraculous earthquake that opened the prison doors and secured their freedom.
“Praise attracts a force from God to liberate you from bondage and captivity,” the preacher said.
