(By Dez Mayorz News)
Chiefs and people of Dabira Community in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, have issued a rejoinder against what they describe as “baseless fabrications” and “historical distortions” by Kalabari groups parading under the newly-contrived title of Torusarama-Piri.
In a statement signed by community leaders, Bille accused the Kalabari of twisting history to mask what they called “illegal encroachments” on Bille territories, including the oil-rich Krikama (wrongly spelt Krakama) axis.
According to the Bille chiefs, Kalabari’s very origin was tied to Bille benevolence. They reiterated that the Kalabari founders were settled on Bille land after being expelled from Bonny for “constant disobedience,” with the name Kalabari itself derived from Kala-Mbari (Please give them a little).
The rejoinder went further, challenging Kalabari’s claim over boundaries, citing colonial-era intelligence reports, judicial inquiries, and Supreme Court judgments that, they say, affirm Bille’s ownership of the disputed territories.
On oil, Bille insisted that the so-called “Krakrama Oilfield” is nothing but the Krikama Oilfield of Bille Kingdom, accusing Kalabari leaders of manipulating Shell records to falsely claim ownership.
They alleged that Kalabari militias, led by Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, launched violent attacks in the late 1990s and early 2000s to erase Bille’s Krikama community and bury the truth.
The statement also poured scorn on Asari Dokubo’s recent coronation as Dabaye-Amakiri I, Amayanabo of Torusarama-Piri, describing it as a “crown without history” and “a ploy to annex Dabira, Ele, Touma and other Bille lands.”
“We shall never allow any individual or group to rewrite history or seize Dabira by force. Bille gave Elem Kalabari to Kalabari people when they came begging, but we will not fold our hands while Asari Dokubo uses a fake kingship stool as a weapon of oppression,” the rejoinder declared.
The Dabira leaders called on the Federal and Rivers State Governments, as well as security agencies, to check what they described as Kalabari’s “renewed aggression” before another round of violence erupts.
They concluded by stressing Bille’s commitment to peace but warned that the Kingdom remains ready to defend its lands and dignity: “Billienbo, Billienbo Birasime.”
Below, is the statement by the Bille Chiefs
Read the full statement (in PDF): Bille Chiefs Reply Kalabari, Asari Dokubo
Bille Chiefs Reply Kalabari, Asari Dokubo (PDF)
