Two persons, were reportedly killed with several others sustaining injuries in renewed hostilities between warring Aladja community of Udu Local Government Council and Ogbe-Ijoh community of Warri South West Council Areas of Delta State.
It was gathered that sporadic gunshots heralded the sunny morning of Saturday which later turned bloody for the warring communities.
The recent hostilities flowed from inability of the state government to demarcate the disputed boundary.
A source said several persons were shot resulting in the death of a 40 year old Efe America at Aladja and a 29 year old female wedding guest at Ogbe-Ijoh.
The source specifically stated that one Major Solomon Nwakwuda and his soldiers shot two of the four other victims in hospital receiving treatments which included a popular Udje Dancer and Mr Robinson Onokahweri, an Olomu indigene.
While an eyewitness who crave anonymity from Aladja alleged that gunmen from Ogbe-Ijoh attacked them at about 11 in the morning on Saturday, a leader from Ogbe-Ijoh says Aladja started the shooting.
According to the Aladja source, “In the morning when we were going about our normal daily businesses, we heard gun attack from Ighwre, the road leading to Okotomu otherwise called Ogbe-Ijoh.
“Our President quickly put a call to security agents to alert them of the attack, the police responded swiftly but Major Solomon didn’t only come to shoot at us but also instructed his junior officers to block the road so that those shot could not be taken to hospital for treatment.”
It was gathered that delay in taking the victims to the hospital led to the death of one of them as hospital authorities claimed that he was brought too late.
Reacting to the attack, the President General of Aladja Community, Prince Ibrahim Dumuje thanked the Base Operation Officer, BOO, of the Nigerian Naval Service, Delta for his quick response to the distress call that helped to stop the escalation of the attack.
Dumuje who spoke through the President of the Community, Comrade Shell-Okakotu Godfirst called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the 27 years crisis between the two neighbouring Communities by demarcating the left flank of the disputed land.
The President General of Aladja Community noted “The left flank had been demarcated by the Delta State Government under former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. However, it seems the State Government is footdragging which is giving the room for the frequent attacks on us by Ogbe-Ijoh people. ”
The remains of the young man who died from gun shots has been deposited at the morgue.
While countering the Aladja story, Chief Monday Keme, Ogbe-Ijoh Leader of Thought and Principal Secretary to the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh said, “A week and five days ago, two suspects from Aladja at a very close range shot two students, who still in the hospital receiving treatment.
“Then on Tuesday this week, same masked youths shot sporadically into Ogbe-Ijoh but no causality. On Saturday this week, same suspects from distance close to the Police Station fired shots into Ogbe-Ijoh and a lady, a wedding guest who was outside the Church was hit by bullet and died immediately that was what caused the recent clash.
“Because of Government lack of political will to resolve the matter, we took the matter before one of the State’s High Courts in the Warri Judicial Division. Aladja has also filed their defence, we want the Government to provide security while waiting for the court to decide.” he added.
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