By Ogele John
In a strongly worded and far-reaching statement released today, the National President of the National Union of Izon-Ibe Students (NUIS) Worldwide, Sen. Comr. Josiah Temeoweimienbi Precious, has issued a serious, unambiguous, and unprecedented warning to ISWAP, Boko Haram, armed herdsmen, and other violent extremist groups, cautioning them to stay completely clear of all Ijaw student communities, Niger Delta territories, and especially the riverine homelands of the Ijaw Nation.
Speaking during a press briefing monitored by Nigeria Daily Chronicles, the NUIS President declared that the Union, representing millions of Izon-Ibe students across tertiary institutions nationwide—will no longer tolerate, overlook, or remain silent in the face of growing attacks on students across Nigeria. He emphasized that the organization has observed with grave concern a disturbing rise in assaults, killings, abductions, and intimidation of students in different regions of the country, and warned that no such violence will ever be accepted or allowed within the Niger Delta Region.
In a continuous outpour of concern and resolve, the President stated that Ijaw student communities, from coastal towns to far-flung riverine settlements, are not just educational environments but the beating heart of the Ijaw Nation, and therefore must remain safe, protected, and insulated from every form of extremist aggression. He stressed that the riverine communities—long known for peace, hospitality, and resilience—must never be turned into zones of infiltration, terrorism, or conflict.
He reaffirmed that the Niger Delta, particularly the Ijaw Nation, has always upheld peace and has never been the first to provoke or instigate violence, yet this peace should not be mistaken for weakness. According to the President, NUIS has a constitutional duty to defend its members and ensure that no threat from any extremist group is allowed to thrive or take root in the region.
He stated that the Union is issuing a continuous, standing warning that no attack, no intrusion, and no attempt to destabilize any Ijaw student community—whether in universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, technical institutes, or local learning centers—will be accepted under any circumstances. The President stressed that NUIS will resist any form of assault through lawful mobilization, coordinated civic action, and region-wide solidarity with traditional rulers, security agencies, community leaders, and youth organizations.
“We want this on record,” he said. “We will never accept any attack on Ijaw students, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. The entire Niger Delta Region, from upland cities to deep riverine villages, must remain a secured territory where our students can learn, live, and grow without fear.
Any extremist group plotting to invade or create unrest should understand clearly that the Niger Delta is not a testing ground for terror. It is a land of proud aborigines, a land of scholars, and a land of people who will protect their communities within the boundaries of the law.”
The President went further to emphasize that the Union will continue to monitor intelligence reports and maintain close communication with all relevant authorities, noting that NUIS will always stand firmly with security agencies working to keep the region safe.
He insisted that the riverine belt, from Southern Ijaw to Nembe, Brass, Burutu, Gbaramatu, Oporoza, Akassa, Ogbe-Ijoh, Arogbo, Bonny, Opobo, Andoni, and all other Ijaw territories—must remain peaceful and off-limits to terror operations.
According to the statement, the Union is calling on all Niger Delta governors, security outfits, community vigilantes, student leaders, and traditional institutions to remain vigilant, proactive, and united to prevent any form of extremist penetration into the region.
The President emphasized that the safety of students is directly tied to the stability of the region, and therefore must be treated as a top priority.
He concluded by stressing that NUIS is peaceful, but the peace cannot be guaranteed if the blood of Ijaw students is threatened, urging extremist groups to heed this warning and avoid the Niger Delta entirely.
Any attempt to disrupt the peace or target students, he said, would be met with the full, lawful mobilization of the entire Izon-Ibe student population across Nigeria and the diaspora.
The statement ends with a strong reaffirmation:
“An injury to one is an injury to all. The Niger Delta is not for violence. The Ijaw Nation is not for terror.
We will protect our students, our land, and our future, continuously, decisively, and without compromise.”
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