A serious crisis is currently brewing between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh Communities in Udu and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State as the two Communities accused each other of alleged planned attacks on themselves.
This is coming as the people of Ogbe-Ijoh accused the Udu Council Chairman, Hon. Jite Brown of an alleged plan to attack them in their community.
The Ogbe-Ijoh people spoke in an open letter addressed to Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, which was signed by the chairman of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Amb. Victor Akemetubo.
The Ogbe-Ijoh people said the Aladja people have dug the only access road leading to Ogbe-Ijoh, to prevent the military and other passersby to access into Ogbe-Ijoh when there is any attack from Aladja.
While noting that the Aladja Community have a toll gate at the end which leads to Ogbe-Ijoh, they stressed that they have concluded plans to destroy the buildings on Ogbe-Ijoh GRA in their usual manner as well as the unnecessary and senseless firing of guns at their convenient time, causing of havoc on Aladja Ogbe-Ijoh road as they posed threats to the lives of innocent road users.
The Ogbe-Ijoh people also urged the Delta State Governor-elect, RT. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori take steps at settling the land dispute between the two Communities as soon as he assumes office.
They equally called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to note and correct the “deviance” of Jite Brown chairman of Udu local government council, his adopted political son to stop his planned last attack as he promised.
According to the Ogbe-Ijoh people, “The Urhobo nation should be aware and hold Jite Brown responsible for the break down of law and order of these two communities and that Ogbe-Ijoh community do not have any fight with the entire Urhobo nation. it is Jite Brown who is using the council money meant to develop Udu local government to buy arms and ammunition for the Aladja people to attack Ogbe-Ijoh over time.
“For the past one week, the Aladja people have been coming to Ogbe-Ijoh end to shoot indiscriminately at Ogbe-Ijoh at their will, which the DSS, the Nigeria army, the police, and other security agencies are aware of.”
Aladja Community has debunked the allegations leveled against Aladja Community by their Ogbe-Ijoh neighbors.
In a statement signed by a former President of Aladja Community Council, Hon. Denis Kabedje Etabuko said, “It’s a lie from the pit of hell and that it is the Ogbe-Ijoh people who would be planning to attack Aladja Community now.”
Hon. Etabuko stressed, “This has always been their pattern. They accuse Aladja of either one attack or the other or of planning to attack when they are fully ready to attack. This they do to build a defense in case they are accused of an unwarranted attack on Aladja.
Hon. Etabuko said it is laughable for Ogbe-Ijoh Community to say that Aladja Community have blocked the access road leading to their land to deprive the military entry when there is a crisis.
“This is laughable because it is very clear that the road has been in use before, during, and after the cessation of hostilities.”
Hon Etabuko noted that Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa approved the road for reconstruction pointing out that, it is ongoing presently.
“So how come to a road under construction is not being said to be blocked by the Aladja People when the security patrol teams of the Operation Delta Hawks stationed at Ogbe-Ijoh pass through other side roads in the community to Ogbe-Ijoh daily?
“Ogbe-Ijoh people are known for being blatant liars and this lie has just exposed them as a people who are experts of lies as merchandise.
“It is on record that the Ogbe-Ijoh people have a penchant for avoiding the resolution of the matter. The Security Agencies can attest to this fact. Even the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolution, Hon. Chief Henry Uzoh can attest to this fact. Aladja has always complied with any directives from the State Government and the Security Agencies who mediate the issue but Ogbe-Ijoh has always proved to be the stumbling block to peace.
“Let me use a scenario to explain this. There was a meeting convened by the Chairman of the Udu and Warri South West Local Government Councils; Hon. Chief Jite Brown and Hon. Taiye Duke Tuoyo. At the end of the meeting, the Commanding Officer of the 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Major Lima asked representatives of both Communities to join him as they would be going to the Barracks in Effurun to sign a Peace Accord. The Ogbe-Ijoh representatives refused to join him in his armored car through Aladja but to pass through the river. Yet, it was in the Council Secretariat in Ogbe-Ijoh that the meeting was held. The Aladja people came there without any escorts believing that because they are standing for peace nothing untoward would happen to them. Yet, it is this same road the Ogbe-Ijoh are claiming the Aladja people blocked now. Or is there any other access road to Ogbe-Ijoh that do not know of?
“The IYC through its Chairman, Victor Akemotubo accused the Udu Council boss, Hon. Chief Jite Brown of sponsoring the Aladja People to fight Ogbe-Ijoh. This is another laughable point the egocentric Akemotubo brought up. Because in his blind search for words to accuse the innocent man with he said he failed the last election in his bid to go to the Delta State House of Assembly as the Udu representative. Yes, he failed not because he did do well but because his own Aladja people were against him because of his principled stand to ensure that the boundaries demarcation was done in his time since the amiable Governor, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa had delegated him and his counterpart of Warri South West Local Government Council to finish the job.
“The Aladja People felt their son joined hands with their enemy to forcefully take their land from them and paid him back by not voting en mass for him in the last election. This is the true picture of what transpired.
“The Aladja people believe that their son, Jite Brown, can assist the community to prevent Ogbe-Ijoh from grabbing their land through his closeness to the Governor but deliberately refused to assist. This issue was a raging battle that affected the chances of Jite in the last election. So for Ogbe-Ijoh to turn around to accuse Jite Brown of sponsoring Aladja is the height of madness. I believe those in Aladja who fought against Jite because of this Ogbe-Ijoh issue would be gnashing their teeth in regret now.
“The veiled attempt by Akemotubo to pitch the Governor-elect, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori against the Aladja people has failed. We believe the Rt. Hon. Oborevwori has the records and where he needs clarification there are people he would call to hear from and it would be made clear that Ogbe-Ijoh has been the ones truncating the peace process.
“The IYC also attempted to make the other Urhobos feel Aladja is the aggressor party. One thing the IYC should know is that the other Urhobos know that the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh, especially, are a very troublesome set of people. That the other Ijaws are wary of them. That the attempt to make Urhobos see the Aladja people look like the troublemakers is a veiled way to tell the other Urhobos that once there is a breakout of fighting again the other Urhobos are not safe in the Ijaw domains. The Urhobo Progress Union would address this.
“Before this publication, we have got information about the meetings they have been holding to plan the possible ways to attack Aladja. And we are aware that Chief Frank Omare; Chief Favour Zuokumor; Chief Bello Baotu; Hon. Friday Deighan ask Chief Monday Keme and many others have donated huge sums of money for them to buy more arms and ammunition in preparedness the attack Aladja in what has tagged the Last Push against Aladja where they boasted that even the Federal Government will feel the heat of what they will do to Aladja.
“Aladja is not unaware of all these evil plans but we will not attack as we have not attacked at any time since the outbreak of hostilities. We have always been on the defensive. And the Army OCs who have been posted to the Area since 2016 when the fighting started can attest to this fact.
“The lies that Aladja has been coming to shoot for over a week now at their territory should be investigated because it shows that they are now training some fighters in Ogbe-Ijoh. And they want to use this as an alibi if the Security Agencies heard any firing of guns. Victor Akemotubo has just proven that he is one of the major experts in the merchandise of the act of lying.
“But we are calling on the Security Agencies to call the Ogbe-Ijoh to order because we will not sit down and allow them to take our lives and properties without defending ourselves.”
Efforts to speak with the Udu Council Chairman, Hon. Jite Brown were unsuccessful as his Chief Press Secretary, Comrade Henry Ubus in a WhatsApp message told Our Correspondent that his boss needed to approve his refute the allegations raised against him by the IYC in Ogbe-Ijoh Community.
For over nine hours now, Our Correspondent has been waiting for his response.
