Army moves to reconcile Rivers’ warring communities

The 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, has expressed its resolve to ensure that communities in Rivers State enjoy peace and live in harmony.

General Officer Commanding of the Division, Major-General Jamil Sarham, disclosed this Monday during a stalled reconciliation meeting for two warring Lewe and Bomu communities in Gokana Local Government Area of the state.

Sarham, who initiated the meeting as part of Army’s mandate to ensure peaceful coexistence in the society, said the absence of one of the warring communities would not deter the Division from achieving lasting peace in the area and the entire state.

The GOC, who spoke through the spokesman of the Division, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, said the step taken fell under the Civil Military Cooperation, noting that the Division was not out to apportion blame to any of the communities.

He said: “We are determined to achieve peace not only in the two warring communities, but the entire Rivers State”.

The chairman of Gokana LGA, Paul Kobani, regretted the destruction the warring communities had recorded in the crisis.

Kobani, who noted that only representatives of one of the warring communities attended the reconciliation meeting at the 6 Division, assured that he would not relent until lasting peace was achieved in the area.