The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Aladja

  • 18 feared killed as Aladja, Ogbe-Ijoh indigenes resume hostilities

    Eighteen people were feared killed on Monday at Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities in Delta State, as residents resumed hostilities.

    There was tension in the towns yesterday.

    The communities claimed to have lost nine persons apiece.

    While Aladja indigenes alleged that soldiers supported Ogbe-Ijoh community and shot dead nine people in their community during a protest by women and children, Ogbe-Ijoh residents claimed that Aladja militia killed nine of their people in a surprise attack.

    Police and Army sources debunked the allegations.

    The Army expressed surprise at an alleged blackmail attempt on its

    personnel sent to restore peace and sanity, but who were waylaid and denied access to Ogbe-Ijoh by Aladja people. The Police said there was no report of any death from both communities.

    Police spokesman Andrew Aniamaka told The Nation in Warri: “It can’t be true. The last SITREP I got on it, about 40 minutes to one hour ago, confirmed there was no death. If there was, I would have reported it. All hands are on deck, even my CP is on top of the matter. He is addressing it.”

    The apex Urhobo socio-cultural body, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), has enjoined the state and federal governments to intervene and end carnage in the area.

    It said they should investigate the allegation of extrajudicial killing of Aladja people against the Army.

    The Nation gathered that the latest violence began on Monday evening with people from Ogbe-Ijoh alleging that Aladja youths stormed their community and injured eight people.

    The Ogbe-Ijoh youths, in what they called a reprisal, also stormed Aladja.

    It was, however, unknown what happened during the reprisal on Aladja, although it was learnt that there was exchange of gunshots between the two sides.

    It was gathered that in an attempt to stop the fight, the Police called for a back-up from the Army and on arrival, the Aladja end had been barricaded by the youth, preventing soldiers from gaining access. That was when Aladja people claimed the Army shot dead nine of their indigenes.

    Reacting to the indictment of its men by Aladja community, the 6 Division, Port Harcourt described the claim of extrajudicial killing by its men as false and an attempt to blackmail the Army.

    Spokesman Col. Aminu Iliyasu, in a phone chat with The Nation, said no soldier from 3 Battalion, Effurun, who were the ones sent to restore peace to the area, fired one bullet, despite provocation and attack by Aladja youths, who barricaded the only access through their town to Ogbe-Ijoh.

    UPU President-General Chief

    Moses Taiga urged the government to find a solution to the crisis.

    He called for investigation into the alleged killing of Aladja indigenes by soldiers.

  • Ogbe-Ijoh, Aladja communites sue for peace

    The people of Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities in Udu and Warri Southwest local governments of Delta State have sued for peace.

    But the leadership of Ogbe-Ijoh decried the slow approach of government to end the crisis.

    The people of Aladja yesterday organised a peace rally, asking for resolution of the crisis.

    Both communities have lost loved ones. Two died on Wednesday morning, with many injured. Belongings were destroyed.

    Speaking to The Nation on phone in Warri, a leader in Ogbe-Ijoh, who is principal secretary to the Pere, Chief Monday Keme, said the community recorded great losses.

    He said the community had been cut off, as its access road had been closed for two years; the area also had no access to the national grid.

    Keme said: “We are not happy with the manner the government is going about this conflict. It has set up a commission of enquiry. A report has been submitted to the governor and the government has done nothing.

    “For two years the access road to Ogbe-Ijoh has been closed. The government has done nothing about this. Since March 24, 2016 when the crisis started, the community has been disconnected from the national grid. For two years, there’s been no light at Ogbe-Ijoh and the government has done nothing about it.

    “The most painful aspect is that the so-called boundary dispute they are talking about was legislated upon years ago. This is the only boundary law we have in force in Delta State.

    Ogbe-Ijoh people are not happy about the way the government has handled this issue. They are pushing us to the wall. By the time we retaliate, nobody should blame us.”

    Two days after losing two persons in an alleged attack by Ogbe-Ijoh, Aladja indigenes yesterday protested peacefully.

    Comprising elders and youths in traditional attires, the people chanted songs as they carried green leaves signifying peace.

    The eldest man in the community, Pa Abel Esiefarhienrhe, prayed for peace and resolution of the crisis.

    He advised youths to be law-abiding.

    A House of Representatives aspirant in Ughelli North, South and Udu, Akpokona Omafuaire, advised the government to end the crisis.

    He spoke yesterday following renewed hostility, which led to injuries on both sides.

    Omafuaire said: “The government has made efforts to resolve this crisis. It must take a step to end this unnecessary bloodletting. The report of the committee must be signed into a law. The government must take a decisive action. Enough is enough.”

    He appealed to the warring communities to embrace peace, as the killings had brought nobody any good, but pains and deaths.

    Omafuaire implored the House of Assembly to look into the matter and make a law to resolve the crisis.

  • Four injured, houses burnt down at Ogbe-Ijoh, Aladja

    Four people were injured yesterday and four houses burnt down at Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja in Delta State. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after the government met community leaders.

    Youth leaders from the communities, who spoke to The Nation, accused one another of causing the violence.

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday, met security chiefs and community leaders from Gbaramatu and Ogbe-Ijoh kingdoms, both in Warri Southwest Local Government, as well as those of Aladja community in Udu council. The communities promised to sheathe their swords.

    But Ijaw youths from Ogbe-Ijoh yesterday morning allegedly stormed the outer flanks of their neighbouring Aladja community, shooting sporadically and torching houses. Aladja is an Urhobo community in Udu kingdom.

    While Wisdom Onotomre, Youth president of Aladja, claimed the attack on his community, about 5 a.m., was unprovoked, his counterpart at Ogbe-Ijoh, Edwin Aken, said the violence was caused by an earlier attack by Aladja indigenes in which two persons were allegedly injured.

    He said: “The Ogbe-Ijoh people came to wake us up this morning, about 5 a.m., They attacked us. Two of my boys sustained gunshot injuries. The people set ablaze four houses.”

    When asked what caused the fight, Onatomre said: “Nothing caused this one. We were sleeping when we heard gunshots.”

    Aken said the attack was provoked by an earlier one in which the Aladja attackers left two persons injured.

    Said he: “If they say Ogbe-Ijoh people attacked them, that is a lie. They attacked Ogbe-Ijoh,  about 6:15 a.m. They came to attack and definitely nobody will fold his arms and watch them kill him. It was a retaliation to what they did. Ogbe-Ijoh people didn’t just attack them; they attacked us first.”

    Police spokesman Andrew Aniamaka confirmed the incident, and said investigation was on.

  • Ogbe-Ijoh elders, monarch to UPU: call Aladja to order

    The Governing Council of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State has urged the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) as well as Urhobo monarchs to resolve the recent crisis between Ijaw communities and Aladja in Udu Local Government Area.

    In a statement yesterday by its chairman, Alex Akemetubo, the governing council alluded to recent reports tagging Isaba as a sub-community in Ogbe-Ijoh Clan and Ayama as sub-community in Aladja community.

    The statement said: “The Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan Governing Council has just read the report in The Nation of Friday, November 11, where the paper reported an alleged clash between youths of Isaba, which they referred to as a sub-community in Ogbe-Ijoh Clan and Ayama, a sub-community in Aladja community. The impression created by the report was that the inter-communal clash between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja led to the crisis and the loss of life.

    “In order to set the records straight, we wish to state as follows: Isaba is not a community under Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom. Isaba is a separate and distinct Ijaw Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State with a gazzetted and recognised traditional ruler, the Pere of Isaba Kingdom, Pere Donokoromor.

    “Ayama, as the name implies, is a community under Isaba Kingdom and not Aladja Community.

    The Isaba and Aladja people have also had historical land disputes. The disputes have been in court for decades and Isaba people won the case at the High Court and Court of Appeal; now, the matter is at the Supreme Court.

    “The impression being created by Aladja people that Isaba is a sub-community in Ogbe-Ijoh is a deliberate attempt to seek sympathy from other Urhobo to set the machineries for an inter-ethnic clash between the Ijaw and the Urhobo. Aladja indigenes have been looking for an opportunity to extend the land dispute between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja to a crisis between Ijaw and Urhobo.”

    It urged UPU and Urhobo Traditional Rulers to call Aladja residents to order, adding that there was need for ethnic nationalities to work together to develop the state.

    The statement added: “We call on the leadership of the Urhobo nation, especially the UPU and the Urhobo Traditional Rulers, led by the Orodje of Okpe, to call Aladja people to order. What is required in Delta State and all over Niger Delta is for the different ethnic groups to work together towards the development of the communities, states and the region.”

  • Six dead, 100 hospitalised in Delta cholera breakout

    Six dead, 100 hospitalised in Delta cholera breakout

    Six residents of Aladja in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State have died of cholera.

    About 100 others were said to have been hospitalised yesterday.

    Our reporter learnt that there had been a cholera outbreak since  last week.

    Sources said the situation worsened in the last few days with a high death toll.

    The situation was said to have worsened because the residents attributed it to the people’s alleged failure to seek treatment. The affected persons were reportedly diagnosed with cholera when their condition deteriorated.

    Most of those hospitalised were said to be in Udu Local Government Area; those with more severe cases were said to be receiving treatment at the Central Hospital in Warri.

    Although the cause of the outbreak could not be ascertained last night, our reporter learnt that the contaminated source of water might have been responsible.

    Udu Local Government Chairman Solomon Kpomah confirmed the incident.

    He said the council had deployed a team of medical personnel to curtail further spread to other communities.

    According to him, the state government sent its medical team to test and treat those affected.

    Kpomah said: “We’ll continue to carry out a sensitisation campaign. There is need for a holistic approach by all parties to curtail the disease.”

    The council chief urged the residents to imbibe good hygiene and dispose off their wastes properly.

    He added: “They should also be cautious of the water they drink and the food they eat.”