Residents flee as police, hoodlums engage in shootout in Delta

A week after a 40-year-old fish farmer, Samson Bebebo, was reportedly beheaded at Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri kingdom of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, scores of armed hoodlums, on Saturday, engaged mobile policemen manning the disputed land in a shootout.

The crossfire was said to have lasted for between 15 and 20 minutes while residents ran for cover, but no life was lost.

The identity of the hoodlums could not be ascertained, even as the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Mr Zanna Muhammed, told Sunday Tribune on Saturday that the situation had been brought under control.

But reports, as of Saturday evening, said some residents were fleeing the area for fear of invasion by the gunmen at dusk.

A source, ostensibly from the Aladja divide, said some suspected Isaba youths were about invading Aladja community when they were repelled by the mobile policemen guarding the disputed land.

But a youth leader from Ogbe-Ijoh, Chief Monday Keme, who spoke to Sunday Tribune on phone, denied the claim.

According to him, youths from Aladja, whom he also alleged to have beheaded late Bebebo, were the ones about to invade Isaba when they were resisted by the police operatives, leading to gun duel.

It was, however, gathered that a team of policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ovwian/Aladja Police Divisional Headquarters, CSP Dike Albert Uchechi, also had a confrontation with the rampaging youths.

Speaking on the crossfire, CP Mohammed said the command could not, as of press time, ascertain from which of the communities the gunmen emerged from between Isaba and Ogbe-Ijoh.

He said the command and the state government had been trying their best to resolve the crisis, saying respite might come soon.