Three persons have been feared killed and scores injured as two warring communities in Ughelli kingdom, Ekiugbo and Otor-Ihwreko, Delta State engaged in another bloodbath.
Properties worth a fortune were also reportedly destroyed during the mayhem during a community festival on Thursday night.
Sources said trouble started when members of the Ekiugbo community, who were observing the ‘Iyeri’ feast of Ughelli kingdom, danced to the Ughelli main market area but were allegedly attacked by youths from Otor-Iwhreko at Osia Street junction close to Ecobank Ughelli where the three persons were killed.
President-General of Ekiugbo community, Comrade Benard Baker, while speaking to journalists on the mayhem, said members of his community were celebrating their long-age kingdom’s festival, Iyeri Feast when youths from Otor-Iwhreko allegedly lunched an attack on them.
He further alleged that the youths from Otor-Ihwreko came out with sophisticated firearms to the market area to attack them, vandalised and torched stores.
Some affected market women, who narrated their ordeals in the hands of the youths allegedly from Otor-Iwhreko, blamed the council boss, Hon. Godwin Adode and Ughelli monarch, HRM Wilson Ojakovo Oharisi 111 for playing politics with the issues surrounding the market.
Confirming the incident to newsmen in Ughelli, a senior police officer, who did not want his name in print nor disclosed the identity of the deceased, also blamed the council chairman and the leadership of Ughelli kingdom for allowing the crisis to resurface.
It will be recalled that early in 2021, a fight erupted between the two communities over the ownership of Ughelli main market that led to the killing of dozens of persons and the destruction of properties.
Efforts to get the President-General of Otor-Iwhreko’s comment were not successful as of the time of filing the report.
Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, when contacted, said only one person was lost to the mayhem, adding that the police were investigating the renewed crisis.
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