By Osagie Otabor, Bénin
Residents of Ulegun Community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area have denied carrying out deadly attack on the Enogie (Duke) of Ukhiri Community, HRH Godwin Aigbe.
The Enogie of Ukhiri was still in coma as at press time after he was attacked on Tuesday at his palace.
He was shot at several times but the bullets did not penetrate his body which made the attackers to stab him and beat him using planks.
Members of the community claimed that the attackers were from neighbouring Ulegun community.
Ukhiri and Ulegun communities have been at a silent war over 222 hectares of land.
One Osagie Henry who was with the Enogie at the time of the attack said the attackers were from Ulegun.
He said: “We were together inside the palace with some people then we saw smoke inside the palace and Enogie thought it was fire and that made him to run out of the palace through the back door.
“They surrounded the Enogie at the corridor of the house and shot him up to six times. The hit him on the head and neck and other parts of his body with plank. I ran down to where the policemen were standing and told them to come and rescue Enogie but they did not make any attempt to move.”
A visit to Ulegun community showed the place was deserted for fear of reprisal attack or arrest by the police.
But Okaeghele of the community, Kingsley Erhauyi, who spoke in a telephone chat, said the Enogie was attacked by his own subjects and not the people of Ulegun.
Kingsley said five persons who were shot through the Enogie orders were receiving treatment at the hospital.
He said it was relatives of the injured youths that mobilised and attacked their traditional ruler.
“We are not involved in the attack. We have a land dispute with Enogie Aigbe and he used that to link any attack on him to us.
“On Monday, the Enogie shot five boys and their relatives retaliated. Go to Suyi Hospital, they are still there. The attack has nothing to do with Ulegun.”
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