The Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State has appealed for a cessation of hostilities with its neighbour, Aladja community of Udu Local Government Area, over the land boundary dispute that has claimed lives and destroyed properties over the past decade.
Chairman of the Ogbe Ijoh Warri Clan Governing Council, Mr Friday Deingha, while speaking to journalists at the palace of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh, appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to assist to bring an end to the crisis by implementing the white paper produced by a reconciliation committee set up by the government.
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Describing the Aladja people as the aggressors, Deingha said the people of Ogbe-Ijoh had only been defending themselves against the onslaught of the Aladja militias.
“We have lost a lot and if you look very well for the past seven months, we have not had gun exchange with them (Aladja) who intruded our community and shot somebody and later burnt down a house. There is no way we can continue to sit back and allow this kind of thing to continue,” he said, while alluding to last Tuesday crisis that rocked the neighbouring communities.
“As for us, we are ready for peace at all times and peace is what we desire. So, we want the press to assist us to spread this messages very wide so that the government will come to our aid so that this thing will come to an end.”
Meanwhile, Chief Monday Keme, from Ogbe-Ijoh has appealed to the Federal Government to intervene by enforcing the boundary law of 1955 and prosecute the violators for the interest of justice.
Aladja community of Urhobo stock has been in antipathy over land boundary with the Ogbe-Ijoh community of the Ijaw stock, which has claimed several lives over the years amid successive governments.
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