Metro

Boundary Dispute: Ogbe-Ijoh, Aladja Trade Words Over Alleged Demolition Of Houses

Published

2 years ago

September 12, 2022

Editor

Angry youths under the auspices of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Interest & Defensive Forum, OIDF have accused a purported Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh boundary committee led by the counterparts of Udu and Warri South West LGA chairmen, Jite Brown and Taiye Tuoyo of unlawful destruction of houses in Ogbe-Ijoh community in the name of a boundary adjustment.

The youths said the committee did not seek the consent of the Ogbe-Ijoh community before destroying buildings on their land.

The youths in a statement said, “The grand commandant of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Interest & Defensive Forum (OIDF) Gen. Powode Edonghan Ikoro, Action Chairman, Francis Oromoni, Commander Endurance Amaya Ogbe and National president of OIDF Okosu Smart and others led Ogbe-Ijoh youths to verify purported boundary areas but to our surprise, three of Ogbe-Ijoh buildings were demolished without the consent of the owners and even the Ogbe-Ijoh people.

“We, therefore, call on the Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, Udu LGA chairman, Jite Brown and Warri South West LGA chairman, Taiye D.Tuoyo to think wisely and bury their evil decisions against the Ogbe-Ijoh people & rebuild the destroyed houses within seven days to avoid a showdown.”

The group also advised Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to call the purported boundary committee led by the counterparts chairmen of the two LGAs to order and possibly focus on LGA boundary adjustment between Udu and WSW LGAs and not communal issues.

The group said the two LGA chairmen should work in line with the government decision regarding the boundary adjustment of the affected communities and not follow their “illegal arrangement which may incite more crisis in the area.

In a swift reaction, Aladja Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State denied allegations by the Ogbe-Ijoh people that her indigenes destroyed buildings in their community.

In an interview with DAILY POST, the President of Aladja Community Council, Shell Okakotu GodFirst, who was reacting to a report on social media by one Smart Okosun described the report as “false”.

GodFirst said it is not true that indigenes of Aladja community destroyed houses in Ogbe-Ijoh.

He noted that there is a committee set to do the demarcation between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities.

In his words, “That job was done by the committee. It’s not Aladja indigenes. Aladja community did not go there to do demarcation on their own. So, to me, it’s an irrelevant story. The story is a fictitious story.”

GodFirst pointed out that most of the buildings at the boundary belong to Aladja people, stressing that, “some of the buildings caused the age-long dispute between the communities.

Commenting on the seven-day ultimatum the Ogbe-Ijoh people issued the Delta State Government to rebuild the houses destroyed, GodFirst said if the Delta State government should be ready to withdraw the security operatives from the two communities, Ogbe-Ijoh people will dare to attack them.

He said the Aladja community is fully in support of the boundary demarcation by the Delta State Government and not because Aladja is afraid of anything but for the sake of peace pointing out that there’s so much insecurity in the country that does not need more troubles to be added.

He insisted that for peace to reign, the Ogbe-Ijoh people should allow the committee set up by the Delta State government to do its demarcation job.

An indigene of Aladja community who does not want his name in print corroborated GodFirst’s comments, saying Smart Okosun is misleading the public with the libellous report.

“I believe the people of Aladja will not take it lightly with him this time around because if he alleged we destroyed any building in Ogbe-Ijoh, he should be able to point out the perpetrators, not just generalizing.”

Metro

Tragedy Struck In Osun As Three siblings, Mother Die In Auto Crash

Published

6 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Three siblings and their mother, identified as Cecilia were reported dead in a ghastly auto accident in Osun State on Saturday.

It was gathered that a car heading to Ibadan from Osogbo had a head-on collision with a motorcycle carrying a woman and four of her children back home from a vigil at Odeomu in Ayedaade local government area.

According to an eye witness Usman Ademola, the motorcyclist carried two of the children in front, another one in the middle while a toddler was wrapped behind the woman.

According to VANGUARD, the two children died on the spot in the incident that occurred between Odeomu and Oogi where the motorcycle was headed.

Also, the woman and the motorcyclist identified as Abraham died while the child behind the woman seems to have survived the incident.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that a mob that gathered at the scene set the car ablaze along with two of the occupants after the driver had escaped from the scene.

Osun police command spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola added that the two occupants were rescued from the car by police operatives and were rushed to a hospital in the state capital.

She added that policemen were deployed to the area to maintain peace and order.

Metro

Soldiers, Traders Clash In Abuja Market

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed its operatives to Banex – an electronics and telecommunications gadgets market, in Abuja, after a fight broke out between soldiers and some traders on Saturday.

Some civilians were seen in a viral video overpowering some soldiers in a fight at the popular market, while some scampered for safety over the fear of reprisals.

The Defence Headquarters, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments as of press time.

A source present at the scene of the pandemonium said the fight occurred over the sale of a mobile phone.

“There’s a problem at Banex now. Some soldiers came to complain about a phone, and during an argument with the traders, a fight ensued,” the witness said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Benett Igweh has deployed officers of the FCT Intelligence Response Team to the scene of the incident.

Metro

Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The protesting women of Okoloba community

Protesters who are majorly women from Okoloba community, Delta State, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, took to the street to protest what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

INFO DAILY reports that Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area and Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, all in Delta State have been at loggerhead over land dispute and others.

The protesting Okoloba women in black attire staged the peaceful protest along the coastal fringe of Koloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba Community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, alleged that the armed youths of Okuama were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

Some of the protesting Women

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say no to violence’; ‘enough of the killings on our land;’ ‘armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style;’ ‘we say no to the return of armed youths of Okuama;’ ‘resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA;’ ‘we mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers,’ among others.’

Reading a letter to newsmen, a copy of each she said was submitted to the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi Local local Government Council, Mrs Goodwin noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

The letter which contained an S.O.S. to the Federal Government, further reads: “First, we the women of Okoloba Community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

The protesting women

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbaths.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama Community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.

“Resettling them among their own people in Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect”.