By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
TWO persons are feared dead as Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities in Udu and Warri South-West local government areas of Delta State are enmeshed in a renewed clash over an age-long boundary dispute.
The killing occurred at the wee hours of Friday with sporadic shootings reported in Aladja community.
Recall that in order to end the several decades of boundary dispute, the Delta State government had set up a committee to demarcate the boundary following a white paper report.
There have been drums of war for days by both warring communities over the committee’s demarcation exercise procedures.
Ogbe-Ijoh community was said to have given a seven-day ultimatum to Aladja community over a demolished building in the course of demarcation.
The renewed shootings commenced in the wee hours of Friday following the expiration of the ultimatum on Thursday.
A source in the warring communities in a telephone call from the bush told journalists that two people were killed.
He also swiftly confirmed that military personnel have taken over the disputed area to avert further bloodletting.
According to him, no building was destroyed in the fresh crisis, but there were heavy shootings as Ogbe-Ijoh fighters had allegedly made efforts to enter Aladja, but met a stiff resistance.
“Because of the ultimatum, Aladja was expecting an attack and had to keep watch.
“At about 5:00a.m, Ogbe-Ijoh fighters came shooting, they met heavy resistance.
“Two of the fighters were gunned down in the process before Army came, but no house was destroyed as they couldn’t enter despite the heavy shootings. We are still in the bush now,” the source informed local reporters.
It will be recalled that members of the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Interest & Defensive Forum had petitioned and accused the local government chairmen of Udu and Warri South-West, Mr. Jite Brown and Mr. Taye Taiwo respectively of constituting an illegal boundary demarcation committee as well as unlawfully destroying their buildings in the process of marking out the demarcation lines.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe confirmed the killing of only one person.
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