Crisis looms in the oil rich city of Warri, Delta State as two warring neighbouring communities are alleged to have secretly kidnap and kill each other over age-long boundary dispute that has already led to the death of hundreds.
According to reports, two Ijaw youths from Opuede community from Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area, last week were allegedly kidnapped and killed by armed Urhobo youths from Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of the state.
In what seems to be a retaliatory move by the Ijaw youths from Fenegbene Community , they were alleged to have kidnapped and killed one Tuwere Metabor, an Urhobo youth from Aladja community.
This development has heightened tension in the area as people are now relocating from the area for fear of being caught in the middle of the impending crisis between the Urhobos and Ijaws.
The two victims simply identified as Solomon Ikoto, and Samuel Ebimajor were allegedly seized along Ovwain River on their way back from Ovwain-Aladja to Ogbe-Ijoh market where they ply their trade as boat riders.
Chairman of Opuede community, Mr. Williams Tortor who confirmed the alleged abduction of the youths, however appealed to the leadership of Aladja to prevail on their youths to release the abductees unconditionally, expressing fears however that they might have been killed.
The chairman while appealing to the state government to immediately arrest the situation, demanded that the two youths be released dead or alive, warning however that extending the crisis to all Ijaw communities would spill doom for the warmongers.
Tortor told newsmen on Saturday in Warri that allowing the Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja aged-long communal crisis to spread to Gbaramatu kingdom and other Ijaw communities would further worsen the already bad situation.
He said that the development was capable of snow-balling the crisis into a major intra communal war between Ijaw and Urhobo people.
“Gbaramatu people are not part and parcel of Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja dispute. We have never been part of the crisis, and we dont support any community against the other.
“We have been playing the peaceful role of good neighbours but we have never being involved so why should they extend their crisis to us by abducting our boys.
“We are appealing for their unconditional release dead or alive, we dont want further trouble so that the issue doesnt escalate more than it is now,” Tortor said.
Continuing he added, “If they have killed them, let them release their corpses but if they are alive they should please release them unconditionally.”
He reiterated that Gbaramatu communities or any other Ijaw community within Warri metropolis have never taken side over the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh land dispute, attributing the peaceful role played by Gbaramatu Kingdom when Urhobo Progressives Union, UPU, Youth Wing issued ultimatum to Ijaw people residing in Udu to quit the area sometime ago as an indication that Gbaramatu was not taking side in the crisis.
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