Leaders of Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State on Monday raised alarm over a planned attack by the Ogbe-Ijoh people alleging that they (Ogbe-Ijoh people) have imported mercenaries to help them prosecute the age-long land dispute between them.
The community leaders said because of the threat many of their indigenes have fled the town.
They claimed that the Ogbe-Ijoh people have also chased the military and policemen from their land with a view to carrying out the planned attack.
President of Aladja Community Council, ACC, Mr She’ll Okakotu GodFirst in a chat with our Correspondent said, “We received series of calls from the riverine. Many of them advised us that we should prepare seriously”.
He alleged that hoodlums loyal to two militant leaders in Rivers and Delta State have arrived for the war.
According to him, “Those are the threats they gave to us. Most of them who are friendly with our sons and daughters called them that they should carry their luggage and leave the town that any moment from now they’re going to attack”.
GodFirst expressed confidence that God Almighty would defend them when the people of Ogbe-Ijoh come to attack them.
He vowed that they will reciprocate any attack by any means God has given them.
While noting that people of Aladja community had experienced series of attacks from their Ogbe-Ijoh brothers, GodFirst said, they no longer have confidence in the government, especially the military stationed in the area.
He said, “The last time they attacked us, the government was with us. The military is there. I was surprised the military could not respond. We could chase them. They left because it might.
“Government saw boys when they came. They could not be able to wage them because of their gun strength. Government just relax and also watched them attack us and go.”
GodFirst pointed out that series of peace accords had been signed between the two communities and the government said, the Ogbe-Ijoh people had always breached the same without any consequences meted on them by the Delta State Government and the military.
The President of Aladja Youth, Comrade Festus Umukoro corroborated the position of the President of Aladja Community Council noting that the Ogbe-Ijoh people recently attacked them and injured many of their Indigenes.
Soldiers according to him allegedly ran away during the attack.
Umokoro also said there are rumours that the Ogbe-Ijoh people had perfected plans to attack them saying, “We are still waiting for them”.
A Coordinator of the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh Peace Vanguard, Comrade Bezi Ighotegwolor expressed sadness over the happenings between the two communities.
He noted that his counterparts in Ogbe-Ijoh are not also happy over the matter.
He said, “It is surprising that so many of the people who stood as peace ambassadors in Ogbe-Ijoh are now people who are calling for war especially Victor Akemetubo, present Ijaw Youth Council Chairman in Ogbe-Ijoh.
“We are also calling for peace. The Ogbe-Ijoh people should embrace peace so that this issue could be resolved amicably.
“The Aladja people when we talk to them they listen to us. That was why phase one of the boundary demarcations was done even when the Aladja people were protesting, we came in and appealed to them and they listened to us.
“We also expect our counterpart from Ogbe-Ijoh to talk to their people to accept the boundary demarcation presently.”
While noting that the disputed land belongs to Aladja people, Bezi said,”We are peacemakers and we have let go so much of our land. But we will advise the Ogbe-Ijoh people to sheath their swords and embrace peace. War is not friendly. Peace is friendly. War lives in its wake, sorrow, tears and blood while peace brings joy, happiness, growth.”
A former President of Aladja Community Council, Chief Paulson Okobiebi who spoke with Our Correspondent said Aladja Community had always been under the attacks of the Ogbe-Ijoh people.
Okobiebi said the recent attack by the Ogbe-Ijoh people left so many people wounded in Aladja Community.
He blamed the Delta State Government for not being able to settle the age-long boundary dispute between them and their Ogbe-Ijoh neighbours.
Okobiebi who gave a historical background of how the crisis between the two communities said, “The Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh crisis did not start with the commissioner of land. I grew up here as a small boy and there was one masquerade they used to dance in Ogbe-Ijoh in those days. I used to go there as a 6 years -10 years old boy and Aladja women were farming around their thatch houses, that tells me that this land belongs to Aladja and when they sun their clothes small clothes and their son is outside Aladja women will query them why are you people doing this. Bring your clothes outside you don’t want my plants to grow to take these things out take them away from this place, remove your clothes eyewitness 8 and life.”
According to him, “And at that time am sure you don’t have more than 20 houses in Abuja, when I mean houses, thatch houses not in mould house, thatch house, not now that we’re talking about buildings.
“They will know houses in that time what they were building there was farm houses fishing farm houses they have there but today I’m surprised by the generosity I will call it a generosity intact they acquired that thing by Force, they acquired those land, that thing they are claiming now by Force that is why, each time they say let’s swear, bring the soil of this land, put it in a drink and let’s swear with it, you will drink it and I will drink it if this land is your own, they refused to drink. And they will not drink it because they know for sure it’s not their own. Is this to say that none of the Aladja indigenes gave them the land? Am not sure, am not seeing it, all these land were acquired by Force.
“Since then this crisis started. The first crisis started before 1995 because I know, it started in 1983. Because the then Bendel state intended to build a housing estate some were along there, surprisedly the name we saw was Warri South. At that time Warri South West has not been created, and we said what? This land belongs to us, this land does not belong to them in Warri South. So, we protested against it and the housing estate was stopped. So the crisis began then.
“Then I remember when the road was to be constructed to Ogbe-Ijaw, they came here begging and the Bizi family refused that no. They came to negotiate with Aladja as a community and Aladja said if you are ready to pay compensation for what you are ready to destroy. But the Bizi family said no, we own the land is not Aladja that owns the land, because it is the family that owns land here. So the negotiation between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijaw does not go well with us. So, Bisi family took them to court and won them in court. And the court said okay, these are the owners of the land, go and negotiate with them.
“So, there was an out-of-court settlement between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja. The papers are there, the court wrote it there and they are there. So, it shows that this land belongs to Aladja.
“This war every day I don’t understand where it is coming from, I really don’t understand where Ogbe-Ijaw is coming from they are claiming that the 1955 gazette of the decision/division between Western Urhobo and Warri division.
“Am talking of division now. They are relying on that jatsing line that has course so much trouble between the Urhobos and the Itsekiri. You remember In 1976 the war between Ekpa and Ubeji, it’s still the same Jackson line. That was drawn abotralling to favour the Itsekiris, you understand.
“Because in the then election proceedings that 1955, the Action group NCNC, Urhobos supported the NCNC and the Itsekiris were on the side of the ACTION GROUP. Action group won the election. To punish the Urhobos for supporting the NCNC. That is why that Jackson line was made so that both sides of the Warri river could be given to the Itsekiris, not to even Ijaw, Ijaw is just cashing on the situation, at that time Ijaw knew nothing, these Ogbe-Ijaw people they are talking now, they knew nothing about it.
“So, the land actually was drawn so that it can become part of the Warri South, but fortunately or unfortunately the Ogbe-Ijoh is the opportunity of that land. You, you know, that can not be a boundary between communities. That cannot be traditional boundaries. So the Ekoko panel that was set up, that was the crux of the things determine the general boundary so that we can adjust this local government boundary.
“Ogbe-Ijoh, we went on that panel, there were two representatives from Aladja, two representatives from Ogbe-Ijoh Three representatives of the government. The panel came up with a majority report.
Prof. Abednego Ekoko administrative panel of enquiry came with a report, Ogbe-Ijoh refused to accept that report, and the two other members went and wrote a minority report, a very offensive one.
“Okay, this one, the report was not made public because of the political thing or sentiment, then that report that was writing to two people, were written by the Ogbe-Ijoh reps, so the government sat on the two reports and out with opposition, this is our stand, then gave it to the surveyor general to go and implement, that surveyor general came here and implement the minority report that was written by two Ogbe-Ijoh reps. That was what the surveyor general was putting on ground here, Aladja then protested,
“Because we now told our surveyor, what is happening here? Our surveyor came and took the GPs reading and plotted it and saw that it was the minority report, and then the Aladja protested.
“And a meeting was called to the then secretary of the state government, Ovie agas which shamelessly, the surveyor general said look at the report, and I brought out the majority report, and the government officials were all a shame, so we left that meeting, and that is where we are still today.
“Then luckily, government did nothing again because it is clear. Then the youth of both communities took off the gun left by the peace vanguard.
Aladja Ogbe-Ijoh peace vanguard. Because we wanted peace, we keyed in let see if what the elders could not do, the youth could do it.
“They went to the law court nothing tangible came out, and we were going like that, but that one gave birth to this Local demarcation committee, by the two local government councils.
“The army, police plus the two local government councils were not involved.
“In fact, what they said, the two people were meeting, that is Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja, that is what they said. And Aladja had rest, I was a member of that group, and we met over 14 times but we could not come out with anything.
“So the local council step in to say, they want this thing done. The two local government councils want this thing done, then the army and the police came, and they said, okay if you too say you can not do it we will help you do it.
“Where do you say is the boundary in Aladja? And we say this is the place. And they ask Ogbe-Ijoh where did you say is the boundary? And the Ogbe-Ijoh this is it. And the two local government councils head, the army and the police said no. With What you have given to us is here, but we want it here.
“When you are going to Ogbe-Ijoh on the right side that was what was done. It two councils, the army and the police said this is where they want. You have said here but this is what we want.
“And that is the one on the right side when you are going to Ogbe-Ijoh. When it came to the left side it was the same thing that was supposed to happen, it happened now, Ogbe-Ijoh said no, they will not accept it.
“Then the next thing we saw, it’s an ultimatum to the government, I was thinking it, where are they going to fight government, are they going to fight government in Asaba. It wasn’t up to 7days, they came attacking, fighting Aladja. What you are seeing on ground today, is the beginning of it.
“You gave an ultimatum to government, you are not fighting government, you came with guns and start shooting Aladja people, is that the government you gave 7days ultimatum to? is it right? So what you are seeing on the ground today? That is the beginning of what you are seeing on the ground today now.
“The army told us when we were there on the right side, that any community that refused to abide by what they have come to do, that it’s enough, they want this fight ended. Why is it that the Ogbe-Ijoh has defiled that order on the left side and is doing it as if they are not ready to do anything, they should deploy teams and let what they have done on the left side stay.
“They did it on the right side we protested because that one it was seen clearly that Aladja land was cut and giving to Ogbe-Ijaw, but because it’s peace we want, we kept quiet, the army said don’t worry and we kept quiet. But now in the left side, Ogbe-Ijaw is defiling the government, army, councils and police and they are doing nothing about it.
“In fact, the first move on the left side Ogbe-Ijoh came to attract Aladja, what has the army, police, what has the government done? That is the Crouse of the matter, you will say today aladja is doing this, Aladja is doing that, but that is the cause of the matter, that is the beginning, if you go to that one and solve it, now this is we have done, it’s we the government that said it should be here it will 3nd the crisis and Ogbe-Ijoh will obey.”
