DELTA State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has warned parents in the state that they risk being victims of the actions of their children who turn out to be criminals.
Uduaghan, who spoke during the 52nd birthday celebration of his wife, Deaconess Roli Nere, made the remark ostensibly against the backdrop of ongoing military operation in Kokori, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.
The Urhobo community is under siege over the activities of the celebrated crime lord, Kelvin Oniarah, who is fingered for a series of high profile robbery and kidnap operations in the Niger Delta region.
It would be recalled that Kelvin was arrested by a crack team of Department of State Security (DSS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
A week earlier, some women and youths in Kokori had danced and celebrated him as a hero when he issued a 60-day ultimatum to the federal government.
Uduaghan cautioned parents to desist from celebrating when their children succeed in perpetuating evil, saying that it is a collective responsibility of all to make the world a better place.
Speaking on marriage, Uduaghan emphasised that married couples should be patient and apply understanding for their marriages to survive.
"In marriage, you see and hear all sorts of things but all that it requires is understanding," the governor said.
Meanwhile, embattled Kokori people have accused the Joint Task Force of excessive force against innocent civilians in the ongoing manhunt for members of the criminal gangs in the community.
A leader of the community told our reporter that military men randomly beat innocent people in their homes and shops, adding, "This has added fear to the people and they have started deserting their homes and the town.
"Imagine a soldier using rod to hit a secondary school teacher on his leg in front of his wife in the shop. Another tailor and his boys were given the beating of their lives and so on. Others have their windows and doors smashed."
But a source, who asked not to be named because of fear of being targeted by the criminal gang members, told The Nation that "Kokori people are generally happy with the situation on the ground (military presence)."
