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Ijaw Youth Faction Protests Against EFCC Over Patience Jonathan's Probe

Protesters created a gridlock and stopped vehicular movement on the main street, forcing commuters to trek miles to get their destinations.

Rented youths in the Niger Delta of Ijaw extraction in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, staged a protest on what they described as constant harassment of the former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The former first lady in currently under probe for money laundering and bank fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has so far traced over $100m to various bank accounts controlled by Mrs. Jonathan at Skye Bank PLC.

Armed with placards of various inscriptions such as "Leave Patience Jonathan alone," "LNG must be bought by Bonny people," "If you must probe, all First Ladies must be probed," "We need projects not soldiers," and "unfreeze Jonathan's account," among others.

The protest was led by Udengs Eradiri, the leader of a faction of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide.

Protesters created a gridlock and stopped vehicular movement on the main street, forcing commuters to trek miles to get their destinations.

Mr. Eradiri said, "This country has produced many presidents but the only one from the Niger Delta and he is constantly harassed by the machineries of the state, especially the EFCC. 

"We want to call on the President to please respect former President Jonathan, at least for the fact that he brought peace to this country. He handed over [the presidency] peacefully to him [President Buhari]. He didn't go to court. He allowed him to run this country, President Buhari should please focus on leadership and stop vilifying the first family.

"We appeal to Buhari to respect Jonathan the way he respects other past presidents. They have frozen his account; they are not paying his allowances. Even the security agencies around him do not get what is due to them. Why is the Presidency victimizing Goodluck Jonathan?" he said.


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Corruption