Terror has gripped the coastal settlement of Bilabiri in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State after heavily armed men stormed the community twice within 48 hours, forcing women, children, and the elderly to flee into the surrounding bushland for safety. 

Community leaders report that the violence erupted after Bilabiri residents confronted a group from the neighboring Amatu II community for attempting illegal black sand mining on Agoliyo (Bilabiri-Ilaje) land a territory Bilabiri leaders affirm was legally adjudicated in their favor by a court during the 1980s. 

The double invasion was allegedly spearheaded by twin brothers, Mr. Man Job and Mr. Fine-Boy Job from Amatu II, alongside co-conspirator Mr. Ebiyekon Timakawei.

The initial assault commenced at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Monday, 18 August, when roughly twelve armed men pulled up to the Bilabiri waterfront in high-speed boats from Amatu II. 

Eyewitnesses reported that the invaders wielded military-grade weaponry, including two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), one G3 rifle, and multiple AK-47 rifles.

Chanting war songs and firing sporadically into the settlement, four members of the raiding crew were dressed in Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) uniforms—a deliberate tactic community leaders believe was intended to intimidate villagers and lend false legitimacy to the assault.

During the hour-long rampage, the attackers proclaimed they were dispatched by their paramount ruler, King Ibane Joel Ekeni, with orders to "wipe out" the Bilabiri community. 

They further claimed the monarch had fortified them with a  spiritual protection ritual, known as the Egbesu charm, rendering them invulnerable to defensive measures. 

Though the assault team temporarily withdrew, they returned thirty minutes later to issue a chilling ultimatum: Bilabiri must immediately cease interfering with unauthorized black sand mining on Agoliyo land or face mass kidnapping and total annihilation.

The threat materialized again on Tuesday, 19 August, at approximately 3:00 p.m., when fourteen gunmen arrived in two speedboats carrying seven armed men each and opened fire on the traumatized settlement once more. 

Several community members remain unaccounted for following the chaos, while others have permanently abandoned their homes, leaving Bilabiri effectively under a state of siege.

In an urgent joint appeal, Paebi Samson, National President of Bilabiri Ibe Ware, alongside Bilabiri Community Chairman Chief Tekenane Abaka and Community Secretary Mr. Ebike Adams, called on the state Governor, the federal government, and all security agencies to intervene immediately before the crisis devolves into an unmanageable bloodbath. 

Emphasizing that while the Bilabiri people possess the capacity to defend their land, citizens prefer peace to conflict. 

Community leadership is demanding the swift arrest and prosecution of the Job twins, Mr. Ebiyekon Timakawei, and the four unidentified men in NSCDC uniforms, along with the recovery of illegal military weapons, immediate security deployments to safeguard residents, and an absolute halt to all unauthorized mining on Agoliyo land.