It broke out following the recent inauguration of a parallel Ugborodo Administrative Committee by Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG), Festus Ovie Agas.The bedlam witnessed a free-for-all on Wednesday evening in Otumara community between youths loyal to one Austin Oboroegbeyi and another group said to be loyal to the Chairman of Ugborodo Administrative Committee (UAC), Jolomi Metseagharun.
It would be recalled that the Oboroegbeyi-led Interim Management Committee was recently inaugurated by the SSG in Warri South Council Area, a development said to have fueled the prolonged crisis over who controls the soul of Ugborodo, an oil rich community.
Few weeks ago, similar hostility led to the death of two persons, one Pa Benson Okoturo and Samuel Mayomi, who were killed following a violent confrontation between the two factions in the lingering leadership tussle in Ugborodo community.
Sources, who pleaded anonymity, told INDEPENDENT that the renewed violent clash, which recorded casualty on both sides, saw some of the youths inflicted with severe gashes on their heads, shoulders, arms and back, while one of them had his left hand completely severed from his body and was immediately rushed to Warri for medical attention.
Our source said that by the time the dust had settled, over 16 youths of Degele community (an Itsekiri settlement) in Warri South-West Local Government Area laid critically ill in various hospitals in Warri and environs following fierce machete use by the combatants.INDEPENDENT can confirm that trouble started about 4:27pm on Wednesday when the boat conveying the group loyal to the Warri-based committee tried to gain access to the community, but were resisted by the indigenes, especially youths who were loyal to the community-based committee.
The Warri-based committee led by Oboroegbeyi had been accused of fleecing the community of huge sums of money in time past, hence the resistance by the locals who vowed that they would never allow same set of persons to be imposed on them.
Reacting to the incident, Chairman, Ugborodo Administrative Committee (UAC), Jolomi Metseagharun, accused the SSG Agas of deliberately causing disaffection among kinsmen and inciting crisis among Itsekiri indigenes in the riverine communities, especially in Ugborodo and other adjoining settlements in Warri South-West.
He appealed to the Federal Government to investigate the activities of the SSG with a view to finding out why he had chosen to incite indigenes of Ugborodo and other Itsekiri communities against one another, adding that it has become clear that the objective was to perpetually oppress the indigenes who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Describing the action of the SSG as gross abuse of office, UAC chairman noted that it was Agas’ wanton abuse of office that led to the unrest, crisis and deaths in Ugborodo and Delgele communities.
“Agas inaugurated parallel committee for both Ugborodo community and neighbouring Delgele community, and this singular action led to avoidable death of indigenes, as well as chaos and anarchy in Ugborodo and other Itsekiri settlements,” Metseagharun stressed.
When contacted, the Police Area Commander, Warri, ACP Mohammed Shaba, confirmed the clash at Otumara, saying, however, that he does not have the exact figure of the casualty recorded in the fracas.
Efforts to get comments from the SSG proved abortive, as he failed to pick up calls as at the time of filling this report.
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