In the wake of a surge in deadly cult-related violence, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has wielded the big stick, suspending the Paramount Ruler of Swali Community, His Royal Highness Wilcox Seiyefa Job, with immediate effect.
The decision, announced through a government communiqué co-signed on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, and her counterpart from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Thompson Amule, underscores the gravity of the state’s concern over the growing insecurity in the Yenagoa suburb.
According to the government, the traditional ruler’s suspension is rooted in what it described as a failure to provide the necessary leadership and moral authority expected in combating crime and cultism — a scourge that has claimed several lives in Swali in recent weeks.
But what has shocked many is the revelation that two of Job’s sons are allegedly enmeshed in the very criminal activities ravaging the community.
Credible intelligence, the statement said, has linked the royal offspring to cult operations — a damning allegation that further complicates the community’s struggle with peace and order.
The state’s position was firm and clear: no one is above the law.
In a decisive move, Governor Diri directed the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, to immediately declare the two sons wanted, along with others known to be involved in cultism in Swali.
The police have also been mandated to launch a manhunt for all implicated persons with a view to arrest, investigate, and prosecute them.
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“The Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri, has approved the suspension of the Paramount Ruler of Swali Community… This action is due to the traditional ruler’s failure to exhibit the leadership expected of his position in the fight against crime and cultism,” the communiqué read in part.
Swali, once a quiet community on the outskirts of Yenagoa, has in recent times become notorious for gang rivalry, particularly involving the dreaded Bobos cult group.
Just this month, four individuals were brutally murdered in what authorities describe as a tit-for-tat clash between rival groups.
Though HRH Job had earlier called for a permanent police presence in the community, residents argue that more proactive leadership was needed from the throne.
The monarch’s suspension, according to sources within the state government, is both a warning and a signal — that silence or inaction in the face of violence will no longer be tolerated.
As Bayelsa battles to reclaim peace in its communities, all eyes are now on how swiftly the police act — and whether this tough stance marks a turning point in the war against cultism in the state.