The leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, has officially withdrawn its mediation efforts in the dispute involving Mr. Daukoru Kariyai and the Azikel Group, following engagements with both parties.
The National Secretary of the IYC, Dr. Ayebakuro Itari Igbeta, made this known in a statement dated August 26, 2026, following the Council’s earlier public briefing on the matter issued on August 23.
The IYC leadership expressed appreciation to the immediate family of Daukoru Kariyai, his friends and associates, as well as members of the Ijaw nation, for their reactions, criticisms and suggestions concerning the Council’s intervention.
According to Igbeta, the 10th National Executive Council (NEC), led by President Comr. Dr. Doubra Collins Okotete, received the various reactions with an open mind and viewed them as an opportunity to reassess its actions and approach.
The Council acknowledged that while some of the reactions may have deviated from the central issues, others provided constructive criticism that would assist the leadership in evaluating its policies and activities.
“Indeed some of the comments may have derailed from the points and some certainly hit below the belt, but we accept full responsibility,” the statement said.
The IYC leadership also reaffirmed its commitment to youth development and the advancement of the interests of the Ijaw people, stressing that its decisions are guided by what it described as the collectively agreed “Ijaw First Agenda.”
The Council said it recognised that its strategies and tactics might not always align with public expectations, but maintained that its ultimate objective remained the protection and advancement of Ijaw interests and potentials.
On the Daukoru Kariyai–Azikel Group dispute specifically, the IYC said it had made efforts to mediate between the parties but acknowledged that its intervention did not produce the anticipated outcome.
The Council explained that following its latest engagement with Kariyai and the position of the Azikel Group, as contained in an official statement conveyed to the Council on August 26, both parties appeared to have considered the merits of their respective positions and chosen to rely on the judicial system for the resolution of the dispute.
“Where both parties seem to have gone through the merits of their cases and wish to rely on the judicial system to deliver justice as they deserve,” the statement noted.
Consequently, the IYC announced that the President and members of the 10th NEC had, for the time being, withdrawn their interest and efforts to mediate between the two parties.
“We wish to use this medium to officially inform Ijaw nation and the general public that henceforth the President and members of the 10th NEC of the IYC has withdrawn its interest and attempt to mediate between the parties at the moment,” the statement said.
The Council called on members of the public to take note of its position, while expressing confidence that justice would ultimately be served through the appropriate judicial process.
The statement was signed by Dr. Ayebakuro Itari Igbeta, Esq., National Secretary, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide.
