Warlord in Hela surrenders after Marape’s warning

By PISAI GUMAR- The National

A WARLORD in Hela has given himself up to the security forces in response to a warning by Tari-Pori MP James Marape that he was coming after those involved in recent killings.
Warlord Libe Koi from Pujaro village in Tagali, where more than 20 women and children were recently killed, apologised to the relatives of all those killed during the six years of fighting.
He also said sorry to the government and members of the security forces.
Koi urged the two other warlords still in hiding to come out before he exposed them.
“I appeal to two other warlords in the recent massacre to surrender themselves and weapons because I will disclose their hideouts (if they fail to surrender),” he said.
“If I can surrender myself, why don’t you two also come out for us to find an amicable solution to restore peace and harmony in Hela?”
Libe said he fought hard against a landlord identified as Okiru in the last six years to protect his family from being wiped out.
“A cease fire and peace mediation was held at Tari police station on July 24, 2017, between me and Okiru to compensate for the killings.
However, no compensation was paid until 2018. Instead Okiru went ahead to kill another three people. “It incited me to retaliate in 2018,” he said.
Soon after recent massacre in Tagali, the Government declared Tagali, Haiyapaga, South Koroba, Tebi and Pori as “fighting zone”.
Libe was assisted by Pujaro chief Karoma Iripu in surrendering to Hela police commander Chief Inspector Teddy Agwi, military operations commander Lt-Col Major Anthony Mota and administrator William Bando last week.

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