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Tag: Ugborodo

  • Three Ugborodo indigenes feared missing in alleged Navy attack on protesters

    Three Ugborodo indigenes feared missing in alleged Navy attack on protesters

    Three indigenes of Ugborodo community among scores of others protesting the perceived non-implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) are feared missing in the Escravos River in Warri Southwest council area of Delta State.

    It was gathered that the trio went missing following alleged attacks by naval officers, led by the Nigerian Navy Commanding Officer, CNL Tank Farm, Ugborodo, Aliu Olayinka,  on Wednesday night.

    A leader of the community, Mr. Alex Eyengho, who raised the alarm via a terse WhatsApp message around 2a.m on Thursday, said the locals were missing, due to alleged “vicious attacks on the peaceful protesters at about 12 midnight”. 

    “As we speak, three of the protesters are still missing somewhere at the bottom of the Escravos river, due to the vicious attacks of Olayinka Aliu and his men, on the instruction of Brikinn, Momodu and other Chevron senior officials,” the message reads

    In some videos of the midnight confrontation made available to reporters, the locals, while on the Escravos River could be heard speaking to persons believed to be naval personnel to allow their peaceful protest go on.

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    “We do not have any issues with you. We are fighting for our rights. You are also from communities…,” one of the voices said.

    Prior to the alleged attack, Eyengho claimed that the CO had vowed to shoot at and kill the peaceful protesters if they continued with the protest from on Thursday.

    He said the Navy CO, Aliu, made the threat on Wednesday when he came to address the protesters, adding that the Navy should be held responsible should the protest escalate. 

    “Let me put it on record that if the ongoing peaceful protest against the manifest acts of illegalities and wickedness of Chevron towards its key host communities go out of hand, the Navy in the area, under the leadership of Olayinka Aliu, should be held responsible.

    “Apart from the lingering issue of the deliberate non – implementation by Chevron of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in accordance with extant laws and regulations, the peaceful protesters have other existential issues with Chevron.

    “We refuse to be intimidated in our homeland by an international oil company and its security agents. Chevron must meet the demands of Ugborodo community and other host communities on the implementation of the PIA and other existential matters.

    “This is one protest that will not come like a flash in the pan. We are determined. We are resolute. It is no retreat, no surrender. We shall not be intimidated by Chevron or the security agencies on this matter. They should be ready to shoot and kill everybody in Ugborodo Community and other host communities who are part of this protest.”

    The protesters listed 41 demands from Chevron, which include: implementation of the Ikpere HCDT as agreed with Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), employment of indigenes in the Turn Around Maintenance of the company, provision of social amenities, conversion of qualified community workers to direct staff.

    They also called on CNL to stop alleged marginalisation of Ugborodo community, its divide and rule tactics as well as interference by company officials, among others.

    The action started on Monday with aggrieved protesters carrying different placards barricading the Chevron dock which had been closed by the protesters with “Cotonou” boats.

  • We’re part of Warri kingdom, say Ugborodo people

    The people of Ugborodo in Warri Southwest Local Government of Delta State have said they are part of Warri kingdom.

    They attributed the joint security operation in the community to their cries for help to the government.

    The people spoke at a news conference yesterday at Ugborodo town hall, Ode-Ugborodo.

    It was addressed by leaders of the community, including chiefs from Warri palace, community elders’ council members and members of Ugborodo Community Management Committee (UCMC).

    UCMC Chairman Austin Oborogbeyi, said in a statement that Ugborodo people were part of Warri kingdom, under the Olu of Warri.

    In another statement in Warri, the apex socio-cultural Itsekiri organisation, the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), hailed the Delta State government and security agencies for restoring normalcy to Ugborodo.

    Addressing reporters after the news conference, a Warri chief, Thomas Ereyitomi, said those who fled the community should return after clearing their names of involvement in crimes.

    In the statement signed by Chief Edward Ekpoko and Sir Amorighoye Mene, chairman and secretary, ILoT urged the government to ensure peace in Ugborodo, hailing those who contributed to the restoration of peace.

  • Ugborodo crisis: Committee calls for probe of death, others

    The Ugborodo Administrative Committee (UAC) has accused the Austin Oborogbeyi-led Ugborodo Community Management Committee (UCMC) of orchestrating the unfortunate incident of Tuesday, August 22, 2017, in which Samuel Mayomi died.

    The UAC, in a statement signed by its chairman, Jolomi Metsegharun, who is president-general of Ugborodo community, also accused the leadership of UCMC of forging the signature of the Eghare-Aja (oldest man in the community), Pa Wellington Ojogor, alleging the Eghare-Aja is incapacitated.

    But in a reaction to Metsegharun’s allegation, a member of UCMC, Alex Eyengho, described the allegations as attempt to divert  attention from the real issue, involving responsibility for the death.

    Metseghanrun alleged the signature of the Eghare-Aja was forged in an advert publication in a national newspaper in line with the constitution of the community, noting that the man could not physically and mentally perform such role.

    He, however, accused the Oborogbeyi-led management committee of causing the incident of August 22 and urged security agencies to unravel circumstances surrounding the incident.

    “Apart from forging the signature of the Eghare-Aja, the decision to have a general meeting ougt to emanate from the community where you want to hold the meeting and not from Warri-based elders who claim superiority over the council of elders in the community.

    “We call on the Federal Government to investigate the council of elders in Warri on where and how they arrive at the decision of calling for a general meeting that would hold at Ode-Ugborodo without the input of the council of elders living in Ugborodo”, he said.

    Meanwhile, the UCMC has described the allegations of forgery and orchestration of the August 22 disaster, being tagged on it by the Metsegharun group as laughable and a diversionary tactic, aimed at watering down the effect of the guilt associated with being responsible for people’s is having on them.

    Member of the UCMC, who has been speaking on the group’s behalf since the incident occurred, Alex Eyengho, while responding to the issues raised by Metsegharun, said the allegations were false.

  • Ugborodo urges Fed Govt, Delta to probe attack  

    The leadership of Ugborodo Community Management Committee (UCMC) has called on the federal and Delta State governments to investigate last Tuesday’s disturbance at Ugborodo in which two persons were reported dead.

    The committee,  addressing a press briefing in Warri yesterday, called on security agencies to arrest and bring the culprits to justice.

    Youths of Ugborodo , Warri South West, on Tuesday, in an attempt to prevent leaders and members of UCMC, led by  Austin Oborogbeyi, its chairman, and others, from the community, attacked them, including 106 security agents, leading to the death of two persons.

    Addressing a news conference in Warri yesterday, Oborogbeyi told journalists the body of the drowned victim, Samuel Mayomi, was almost hijacked, apparently to destroy evidence.

    Oborogbeyi claimed the attackers allegedly assaulted and dispossessed victims of their valuables, including phones, wrist watches and money.

    “The boat, which one of the attacking speedboats rammed into and sunk had 19 occupants, Ugborodo indigenes, except the boat operator and his assistant.

    “All occupants fell off into the river. Five victims were kidnapped by their attackers and taken to Ode-Ugborodo. They threatened their victims, with guns, machetes, battle-axes, sticks and other dangerous weapons”, he said.

    He urged the government  to unravel circumstances surrounding the attack and prosecute the culprits.

    “Families of victims want justice. The lawlessness in Ugborodo must be brought to an end. Law and order must be restored in Ugborodo. This is what we demand from the Federal Government and Delta State, whose primary responsibility is to protect lives”, he said.

    Police commissioner Zanna Ibrahim said investigation was on, adding that he was only aware of one death.

  • Two killed in renewed Ugborodo leadership crisis

    Two killed in renewed Ugborodo leadership crisis

    Two persons, Pa Benson Okoturo and Samuel Mayomi, have been reported dead following a violent confrontation between two factions in the lingering leadership crisis in Ugborodo community, Warri South-West council area of Delta state.
    The incident, which was sparked by an attempt to prevent leaders and members of the recently inaugurated Ugborodo Community Management Committee (CMC) from gaining access into the community, by a group opposed to the Austin Oborogbeyi-led committee, also led to the alleged abduction and later release of five members of the committee’s entourage.
    The committee and a host of other members of the community, numbering over 300, had embarked on the journey to their home community, Ugborodo, to attend a congress, reportedly called by the Eghara-Aja (oldest man), Pa Wellington Ojogor, to address the community on how the committee intended to execute its task.
    There had been a long drawn conflict over who should constitute the local authority over the community, with some interests, led by the community’s Olaja-Orori (spiritual head) of the community, Benson Omadeli, rejecting what they viewed it as an attempt by nonresident elites of the community and the state government to foist the then Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Interface Committee, on them.
    However, to calm the tension in the oil-rich community down, the Dr Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration, in May 2017, inaugurated the new committee, which included the EPZ committee and representatives from the community. The committee was inaugurated in Warri, but to make its debut entrance into Ugborodo when the situation turned ugly on Tuesday.
    The Nation gathered that trouble started when a group of community youths, led by the Ugborodo Youths President, Ofe Nene Penda, resisted the boats carrying the committee’s party from landing on Ugborodo soil, saying they were not recognised by the community.
    Narrating the incident, a member of my Ugborodo CMC, Alex Eyengho, said while Pa Okoturo collapsed as a result of shock he suffered on hearing gunshots fired by the resisting group and later died at a hospital in Warri, Mayomi drowned when the attackers caused the boat he was in to capsize.
    Eyengho, who alleged that those who attacked his group were heavily armed, also called on the federal government to immediately militarise Ugborodo and environs to curtail the dangerous lawlessness going on in the area and also called for an immediate proscription of all youths activities in Delta state.
    “I can now also confirm to you that one Samuel Mayomi got drowned and died yesterday as a result of the attack on one of the boats by Ofe and co.
    “Also, a member of the Ugborodo Community Management Committee, Mr. Benson Okoturo also died from the shock of sporadic gunshots. He was about joining a boat from the Madangho jetty to Ode-Ugborodo for the meeting when the sporadic shooting started between Kpokpo and Madangho. He collapsed on the spot and  was rushed to a Warri hospital where he died.
    “We formally applied to the Delta state police command who gave us about a 100 man police team lead by Superintendent Sola Adebayor. Shockingly, these security operatives watch like spectators as the armed men intercepted us between Kpokpor and Madangho.
    “They told the police they won’t allow us to come down to convene the meeting. They openly fired their guns in the air in the presence of the police. In presence of the police they rammed one of their boats into one of our boats which sank and resulted in drowning of Mayoma.
    “They were wielding guns and other dangerous weapons, and Superintendent Adebayo’s only response was that they have no mandate to use extreme force, advising us to retreat. The police complacency gave the criminals liberty to also abduct five of us, tortured them mercilessly before releasing them through navy.
    “The criminals in the community are not faceless. Those sponsoring this unending violence are same community criminals engaged in ceaseless bunkering in the community. They want the community to remain inaccessible to protect their oil crimes. It is difficult to explain that with a naval base and army post in the area, these criminals still enjoy impunity to steal oil, kill and destroy,” Eyengho said.
    When contacted, Benson Omadeli, Olaja-Orori (Spiritual Head) of Ugborodo, an authority on ground, said, “I am not in town, I am away, travelled, so I cannot say what is actually happening at the moment”, promising to forward a contact of another home based authority to speak which he never did.
    Efforts to get a confirmation of the development from the state’s police command was not immediately possible as the Police Commissioner, Zanna Ibrahim, could not be reached on phone and the spokesman of the command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who was in Abuja for a training, pleaded for more time to get his facts together.
    However, when reached for conirmation, the Commander of the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, said he had not been briefed of the entire story yet, but knew there was a confrontation in the community, involving two groups from the community.
    “I heard the groups that was going to the community were in their boats, approaching the community when the group resisting them came in another boat and ran into one of the boats of the visiting team to hit them.
    “I’m just coming from the security council meeting so I don’t really know the outcome of everything; I don’t about the people who lost their lives. I only heard about it from the DSS Director who was briefing, but I know that in the community, a group was coming to gain access, another group stopped them. I don’t have the full details, but I know there was problem yesterday,”Dewu said.

  • Ugborodo crisis: Navy threatens to use force

    •’If they want peace, they should honour community’s tradition’ 

    The Ugborodo crisis seems to be deepening.

    The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, has threatened to wield the big stick against the recalcitrant side in the crisis over the implementation of the signed peace agreement.

    The crisis recently worsened, resulting in the destruction of houses and cars worth millions of naira in Ugborodo and Warri.

    The arson followed the refusal of members of the Aruton quarters in Ugborodo to allow the Navy, led by the Commanding Officer of NNS Delta, Navy Captain Musa Gemu, resettle members of the community allegedly displaced. They said the people, whom the community had accused of leading the invasion of Aruton, should atone for the sacrilege.

    At a meeting organised by the Navy at the Warri naval base at the weekend, Captain Gemu warned those working against the implementation of the peace agreement, especially the resettlement of displaced persons, not to test the will of the force.

    He gave them a week to sort out the reabsorbing, after which the Navy might step in to enforce the term.

    Speaking with The Nation in Warri in a meeting, the leader of one of the warring factions, Mr. David Tonwe, said nobody would force the community to reabsorb the displaced people, until they fulfilled the rites required of them by the Ugborodo tradition, for the atonement of the sacrilege they allegedly committed against the community.

    At the meeting, attended by stakeholders, including the Olaja-Orori (Spiritual Head), Benson Omadeli and Chief Ayiri Emami of the Thomas Ereyitomi  faction, boycotted by Tonwe, Gemu said: “I’m sounding it clearly to the elders, leaders and youths. This is your last chance. You have one week to go home, meet and agree to allow the displaced persons return.

    “This is not my personal decision. It is part of the peace accord leaders on both sides signed with the Federal Government in Abuja. I want to receive a positive feedback at the end of the week. After then we will not tolerate lawlessness. It is not the desire of the government to apply force. But we would have no other option if you fail to respect peace.”

    Tonwe warned that an attempt to coerce the community against the dictates of its custom in the matter of reabsorbing would not work well, noting that it was a community matter, which had a long list of precedents.

    He said peace would not be achieved by the use of force, adding that the concerned authorities should rather ensure that the right things were done, as the people would not succumb to intimidation.

    Said Tonwe: “Other people went through the same process before. The Olaja-Orori went through it, the Eghara-Aja went through it. Nobody is above the law. You are dealing with military people and they don’t care about whatever you say. What they are saying is that we want peace and let me tell you, that is where we have problem in this country. The process of achieving peace is not by force, it’s by entering into a dialogue, it’s by negotiation, it’s by discussing.

    “At the meeting at the naval base, an elderly man, Abeokutan Anderson, told the naval chief that ‘these people have committed a crime, which is a sacrilege and they need to go and appease the gods of Ugborodo community’. They shouted him down, saying the issue was not for there. You cannot use force, except you want to kill everybody. You are now trying to use force, imposing people so that they can forget about their culture and tradition.

    “If they want peace, let them follow that process. We don’t even need a naval man to take them back to the community, we don’t need any force to bring them to the community. If the community resolves that because you don’t want to do this you will be out of the community for three years. It is our own custom and tradition.”

    Expressing concern about the absence of Tonwe at the meeting held at the weekend at the Warri naval base, Chief Emami said: “There is no one not aware that each faction has its stronghold in Ugborodo. We are aware that Aruton and Magangho, where the violent youths are preventing Navy from resettling displaced persons, are not our strongholds. So when those who these youths are loyal to continuously stay away from meetings like this, it tells where the problem lies.”

    The Olaja-Orori said: “I feel some leaders have shielded the Federal Government’s peace agreement from the youths in Aruton and Madangho. My view is that copies of the resolutions be made available to everybody, so that we all, particularly the youths, know when we are violating the orders already signed by the leaders.”Gemu, while expressing disappointment about the absence of Tonwe, urged the Olaja-Orori to take responsibility for passing the decisions reached at the meeting to Tonwe.

    “He was informed of the meeting and was supposed to be here. Tell him that the decisions are binding.”

    Elders and youths from Aruton, Madangho, Ogidigben and Ajudaibo were in attendance. The meeting was also attended by Austin Oborogbeyi, the Chairman, EPZ Interface Committee. Gemu was joined by the Police, Army and the Air Force Command in Warri.

  • Ugborodo: EPZ panel chair seeks peace

    The Chairman of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Ogidigben Interface Committee, Austin Oboroegbeyi, has decried the renewed violence and destruction of property in Ugborodo communities.

    He urged the warring factions to embrace peace.

    The crisis has spread to Warri town.

    Oboroegbeyi said the destruction of property is alien to Ugborodo people, stressing that their tradition not only frowns at it, but also sanctions anyone that destroys people’s belongings.

    He said the efforts of the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, (NNS), Delta, Navy Capt Musa Gemu, on July 26, made it possible for displaced people to return to their communities.

    “Ugborodo’s major challenge is to be united and face external problems. I enjoin the parties to settle their rift amicably and embrace peace,” Oboroegbeyi added.

    He recalled that the crisis began years ago, adding that it was not caused by the Ogidigben EPZ Interface Committee comprising representatives from both factions.

    According to him, since its inauguration, it has made efforts to promote peace in Ugborodo.

  • Who will tame the tigers of Ugborodo?

    IT was not a new madness. It was something we had all seen but could really not understand. It subsided and we knew it was just a matter of time before it would rear its head again. And on July 27, the signs that brawns, rather than brain,s would soon be on display were glaring. The threat to Ugborodo’s peace needed no special lens to be seen. By the second day, houses, cars and other valuables started going up in flames. And then the third day, discordant tunes started oozing from the mouths of many in the town.

    The fragile peace recently achieved in Ugborodo, one of the host communities of the $16 billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Warri Southwest, Delta State, gave way  to turmoil when some quarters of the community violated the peace pact. Two months ago, the Federal Government, through the peace and security committee, comprising of various security agencies, state government and community representatives, set up the EPZ Interface Committee, leading to the signing of a peace agreement.

    One of the articles of the agreement was the restoration of displaced persons from the various quarters of Ugborodo to their homes, as well as cessation of hostilities by various armed groups. These yet-to-be- resettled  people in the community, first called for the dissolution of the EPZ Interface Committee, citing the continued unrest pervading the community.

    This followed the action of youths of Aruton (Ode-Ugborodo), who allegedly frustrated, for the third time, the Navy’s efforts at resettling the displaced persons.

    Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Navy Capt Musa Gemu, who led the naval team’s mission to resettle the displaced persons, expressed frustration at the attitude of Aruton youths and leaders, saying there was hardly any indication that the people wanted peace in Ugborodo.

    His lamentation: “I met with leaders of the two sides the day before. They assured that they will be on ground to talk to their people where they are in control to allow all displaced persons return in peace. Now only Isaac Botosan and Ayiri Emami of Thomas Ereyitomi bloc were on hand to lead displaced persons to Ogidigben and Ajudaibo where they are in control.

    “David Tonwe, who gave his word, never showed up to talk to the boys at Aruton to resettle displaced persons there. These same youths at Madangho and Aruton, who refused to allow displaced persons return home, also scared people from leaving to Ogidigben and Ajudaibo.

    “It is not like the Aruton youths can resist me. Applying force now is not the spirit of the peace process. So, I asked my men to pull back. I went in with just two men and interacted with the community elders and youths. Their feeling is that the said displaced persons committed sacrilege against the community and they need to appease the land and atone for their action before being allowed back in the community.

    “They said the only condition for peace is that all the people that have been jailed, even six years back, must be released. Do I know their offences? Were they offences against the state? Also that all those that were killed, they must bring their corpses back for burial, that all those who committed crimes against the community must come back to apologise and that proper punishment would be meted on them by the community.”

    So, it was not a surprise when just the day after the failed effort to bring the displaced back  properties worth hundreds of millions of naira, including houses and cars, were destroyed. The madness that started in January was here again.

    The two camps have come up with counter-claims. Both camps are blaming the other  for the display of brawns.

    A leader in the Ereyitomi camp, Emami, said contrary to speculations that the acts of arson were done by supporters of Ereyitomi, the acts were carried out by angry members of the Tonwe camp who felt they had been used and dumped.

    Whoever is right, the truth remains that this ding-dong can only stop if a compromise is reached. If both parties are not ready to shift grounds, where is room for settlement?  

  • Uduaghan cuts short trip to settle Ugborodo crisis

    Uduaghan cuts short trip to settle Ugborodo crisis

     •Unrest spreads to Warri

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has cut short his trip to Glasgow, Scotland,  for the Commonwealth Games. He is returning home to settle the escalating Ugborodo crisis.

    On Tuesday, members of  opposing groups stormed the Esisi Road, Warri township home of a factional leader, David Tonwe, torching two cars.

    There has been a resurgence of hostilities in the last one week, sparked by attempts by the authorities at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta to execute one of the articles in the peace agreement signed by the warring factions in the community- resettlement of displaced persons from Ugborodo community, which was resisted by some members in the community.

    The failed attempt at resettling displaced community members resulted in a gale of arson.

    Uduaghan said he had reached out to the two factions in the crisis, telling them to embrace peace.

    The governor, who spoke to The Nation from Glasgow last night, however, debunked an allegation that the Ugborodo crisis was caused by the rivalry between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Tuesday night’s attack is considered to be the most provocative in recent times.

    Narrating his ordeal to The Nation in Warri yesterday, Tonwe alleged that the group that attacked his home, destroying the vehicles parked outside, was led by Chief Ayiri Emami, one of his rivals.

    Emami, however, refuted the allegation. He said he was in his home when he was informed of the attack and that it happened during a clash between a group led by Amejuma Atete and those loyal to Tonwe.

    According to Tonwe, the problem started when the Emami group, leaving the police station, a short distance from his house, where they had gone to secure the release of the prime suspect in the series of arson in the past few days, attacked his home.

    “Yesterday, prior to the arson at Ubeji, the owner of the house went to report to the police. After he reported the case, police arrested one of the prime suspects, Mike Atete. When Ayiri heard that he was in police custody, he mobilised more than 50 boys to the police station and on getting there, they demanded that the boy be released. That was yesterday evening, about 6:30pm.

    “After leaving the police station with the boy, they passed through my place. The police station is near my house. He (Ayiri) led the troop. On reaching my place, they vandalised my cars and torched the two other cars,” Tonwe said.

    But Emami said he was never around Tonwe’s house, adding that the person who attacked Tonwe’s home was one of his former loyalists, who felt disaffected.

    His words: “I was never near Tonwe’s house. I did not pass through his area. It is not true, he is just looking for a way to dent my name. If they have not told you the truth, I will tell you now. Police arrested one boy called Amejuma Atete, a boy they were using against me before, but who has turned against them. I was at the police station to secure his release because already they had gathered at the front of the police station. I left them at the place after he was released.

    “I had reached my home before I heard what happened at Tonwe’s house. I heard that when they left the police station, which is not far from Tonwe’s house, they passed through Tonwe’s home and clashed with his supporters. It was then that the destruction of vehicles happened. I was never around there.”

  • Ugborodo crisis: Houses cars, burnt

    Ugborodo crisis: Houses cars, burnt

    Property worth hundreds of millions of naira, including houses and cars, were destroyed as the Ugborodo community crisis escalated on Sunday and yesterday.

    Ugborodo in Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State, an Itsekiri community, since January has been engulfed in a bloody internal strife over the control of the community representation in the $16 billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

    Some of the quarters of the community, such as Aruton, had reneged on the earlier signed peace pact, one of which articles was to see to the resettlement of displaced persons from the community.

    Efforts of the security operatives to pilot the agreement and take those who fled the community back to their homes on Friday was repelled by the leaders of Aruton, who said they would not welcome the displaced persons back into their midst, giving conditions for adherence.

    But the situation escalated on Sunday evening and yesterday when members of rival camps resorted to attacking each other’s properties, both in Ugborodo and Warri main town.

    “It started yesterday, two houses were burnt in Aruton. In Ajudaigbo they burnt one house. One of the houses burnt in Aruton belongs to the youths leader, Julius Atete. What happened was after they tried to go back to the town, but were repelled, some of the boys, in anger went to burn one of Tonwe’s boys’ house, in retaliation, they went after Atete house, three houses in different places; Aruton, Madangho and Ajudaigbo.

    “Last night in Warri, around Ubeji, they torched the house of one of anti-Ayiri people, they said that it was Ayiri boys who burnt the house. The guy’s name is Ofe. Although the house was not completely burnt down because they used water from his swimming pool to quench the fire, they burnt two of his cars”, a community source told The Nation.

    There was no confirmation of death, neither physical injuries, to participants in the gale of arsons ongoing.

    The Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Navy Captain Musa Gemu, said he heard no such news from Ugborodo, but confirmed the incident at Ubeji.