Crisis looms, as police plans to arrest Ogbe Ijoh leaders

THERE’S palpable tension at embattled Ogbe Ijoh community, as operatives of the Nigeria Police are alleged to be planning to arrest leaders of the community any moment from now.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Zanna, is said to be perfecting strategies with sister security agencies to arrest leaders of the community.

Ogbe Ijoh community in Warri South West Local Government Area of the state has been in prolonged communal battle with Urhobo people of Aladja over a border land dispute.

Over time, the warring communities had accused each other of kidnapping, maiming, killings and destruction of property with a recent mayhem last week Thursday just 24 hours after Governor Ifeanyi Okowa ensued for calm with stakeholders from the communities and security chiefs.

Leaders of Ogbe Ijoh, in a statement signed by the acting chairman and secretary of the community Slyvester Tiebebedigha and Godwin Eneghan, made available to journalists in Warri on Monday, alleged that the planned arrest was hinged on last Thursday’s mayhem.

They accused the police, the navy and other security agencies of fronting and backing Aladja people while they persecute and hunt for Ogbe Ijoh people.

“The Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan Governing Council frowned at the planned arrest of Ogbe-Ijoh community leaders by security agencies especially the Delta State Police Command under the leadership of CP Ibrahim Zanna.

“The Ogbe-Ijoh leadership has been reliably informed that arrangements have been concluded to arrest Ogbe-Ijoh community leaders as a result of the recent clash between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communities. This is unjust and unfair to the Ogbe-Ijoh people.

“We have noticed the bias treatment of Ogbe-Ijoh people by security agencies in the management of the Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja crisis.

“It would be recalled that on several occasions, the Aladja community has violated the ceasefire undertakings entered with security agencies including the attack on Police officers at Ogbe-Ijoh by Aladja people on June 2, 2017.

“Apart from this attack, the Aladja people have been consistently attacking Ogbe-Ijoh community and security officers passing through Aladja community to Ogbe-Ijoh without any arrest whatsoever.

“However, we are amazed that the Ogbe-Ijoh people who are the victims of the persistent Aladja community attacks are the ones now penciled down for arrest by security agencies.

This is in addition to the attack on Ogbe-Ijoh community by officers of the Nigeria navy on Thursday, July 27, 2017 wherein the Egbesu belle was attacked and destroyed in a sacrilegious manner,” the leaders stated.

They condemned the alleged bias treatment of Ogbe-Ijoh by security agencies and called on the Chief Security Officer of Delta State, Governor Okowa to call security agencies involved to order so as to avoid escalation of the crisis.

It will be recalled that Ogbe Ijoh, last weekend after the Thursday mayhem that left scores badly maimed, had accused operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, of attacking the community in the guise of providing security.

A senior officer of the base, EF Etukudo, had denied the claim saying “you know the Navy is a Civilised Force. They can’t participate in any illegalities and would not want their integrity to be trodden. If you have any claims to what you are saying, you can send it to the Base.”

Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta Police Command, Mr Andrew Aniamaka, who was contacted on his mobile phone could not be heard as the noise at the background showed he was probably in a meeting.

He also did not respond to a text message sent to his mobile line about half an hour prior to sending this report.