Fresh crisis is looming in oil-rich Ugborodo community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta state following Monday night’s abduction of a prominent youth leader and leading candidate in an imminent election into the community’s youth body.
Ugborodo community, host to Chevron Nigeria Limited’s $9bn gas-to-liquid plants, CNL’s Tank Farm and and proposed $16bn EPZ among other national assets, is one of the richest in the Niger Delta and elections into the community’s trust and youth body usually lead to tension and bloodbaths.
Various sources said Mr. Ofe Penda, a leading candidate in the coming election, was abducted by armed men in front of a hotel on the busy Airport road in the Oil City, on Monday evening.
The incident is generating tension in the area because it was gathered that it occurred shortly after Ofe met a factional leader and key player in the community’s leadership crisis.
“We suspect that the gunmen trail us from the venue of the meeting.
“They rode in a Toyota hilux van and they were six of them. The three who came down were heavily armed and they wore military fatigue and bulletproof vests.”
The victim, whose whereabouts was still unknown at the time of this report on Tuesday, was taken away the Toyota Camry saloon car he was riding in at the time of the incident.
Local sources said the abduction was not unconnected with election into the youth body of the oil-rich community.
Mr. Temi Eyoyibo, who is related to Ofe, told our reporter that some persons in the clan sees him as the leading candidate in the running for Youth President, adding that his abduction was a ploy to stop the election and to cause another mayhem in the community.
“We all know that some unscrupulous elements see the community’s leadership as their only claim to relevance and are desperately trying to postpone the elections to ease the way for their candidate and stooge, this might be one of the tricks up their sleeves to carry out that plot.
“But we trust on the leadership of our esteemed king, Ogiame Ikenwoli, to restore peace and orderliness to all Itsekiri communities, including Ugborodo,” Temi told our reporter in a telephone chat.
Meanwhile, at the time of this report on Tuesday afternoon, it was gathered that loads of Ugborodo women were on their way to the palace of Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, to express their displeasure at the deadly drama.
It was gathered that the action of the women was informed by their need to avoid further tragedy in the community, which is recently notorious for gunfights and bloody rival groups clashes.
Although the Commander, Quick Respond Squad of the Nigerian Police, Mr. Alkali Lamido, could not be reached, a source in his office confirmed that the incident was being investigated.
