War in Delta: More than 20 Aladja youths suspected dead

Though the reports are still sketchy, but more than twenty Aladja indigenes are suspected to have been confirmed dead, houses razed, following an alleged invasion of suspected Ijaw youths at the early hours of today Thursday 27th, who stormed the community and engaged the Aladja youths in a fierce gun battle, leaving them scampering for safety.

Recently, Aladja youths were issued a warning to return abducted Ijaw youths from Gbaranmatu.

Both communities (Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja) have been  at each other’s throat over communal land that straddles the boundary of  their communities. Successive governments have set panels of inquiry to proffer solution to the intractable land squabble to no avail.

The Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa had on Wednesday initiated a peace move between the Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area and their Ogbe-Ijoh neighbours in Warri South West local government through a meeting at Government House annex, Warri, but it seems peace may never return as youths from the two communities engaged in a fierce gun battle in early hours of Thursday, July 27.

Vanguard also confirms that a competent source in Warri,Delta state state indicated that people of the two communities are attacking each other with guns and other dangerous weapons they have in their arsenals.

" Women and Children are fleeing both communities as fierce fighting continued at about 11:00 am today Thursday July 27. It was not clear which of the communities involved in crisis drew the first blood. But it must be noted that Aladja is an Urhobo community, while Ogbe-Ijoh is Ijaw community", thenewsnigeria further said.

" Though details of the incident was sketchy as at the time of this report, security sources told Vanguard that the attack is a fallout of the verbal confrontation of monarchs from both communities during the peace meeting over the whereabouts of two indigenes of Gbamaratu kingdom whom were alleged to have been abducted by persons suspected to be from Aladja community.

“We were invaded this morning by youths from Ogbe-Ijoh who burnt a building belonging to Mr. Austin Oduaran who was sometime ago abducted as a result of the clash,” Wisdom Onotome, a youth leader from Aladja told Vanguard.

Debunking the claim by Onotome, another youth from Ogbe-Ijoh Preye Perekeme said: “Youths from Aladja this morning tried invading Ogbe-Ijoh, but we were able to repel their attacks" - Vanguard reports also says.