One person was reportedly beheaded while cars and houses were burnt by rampaging youths suspected to be of Ijaw extraction from Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri South West Council Area of Delta State.
The development was believed to be a reprisal attack on Aladja community in Udu council. It was gathered that the beheaded victim’s head was taken away while a 14-year-old girl was abducted during the fresh attacks on the community over the lingering boundary dispute between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities.
Aside the late victim, identified as Mr. Kingsley Tabuku, three vehicles and several houses were razed.
A source from Aladja community said the incident happened on Saturday evening after security personnel had first repelled a similar attack on the community from suspected armed youths from Isaba community.
It was learnt that about 30 others, comprising women and children, also sustained gun wounds.
A senior police officer deployed to provide security in the area confirmed the incident to our correspondent on condition of anonymity.
The police source said it was a reprisal attack by Ogbe-Ijoh youths on Aladja community following last two Saturdays beheading of an Ogbe-Ijoh community indigene by youths from Aladja.
“An Aladja indigene was beheaded in what we believed to be a reprisal attack by Ogbe-Ijoh youths to avenge last Saturday’s killing of an Ijaw youth in his farm. Two houses were razed while three vehicles were burnt down during the attack. The little girl that was kidnapped has been returned by Ijaw youths to Aladja”, our police source stated.
The Warri Area Commander of the Delta State Police Command, ACP Muhammad Shaba, confirmed the attack but declined to give details.
Meanwhile, Udu youths under the umbrella of Udu Youth Council condemned the attack in a statement issued by its spokesman, Mr. Vincent Omoko, stressing that the attack had shown their belief that Ogbe-Ijoh people do not want genuine peace.
It read, “We condemn in its totality the renew attack on the Aladja people of Udu LGA by the Ogbe-Ijoh people of Warri South West LGA. The sinister attack launched on the Aladja people yesterday have confirmed the purpose attack on the Aladja people , leading to the beheading of one Mr. Kingsley Tabuku and burning down of two houses and two cars.
“The attack yesterday (Saturday) on Aladja is a confirmation of the fact that the Ogbe-Ijoh people are not out for genuine peace. It is callous and should be condemned by all well-meaning Deltans. This act is barbaric, it signifies that the drum beaters of war are ready to wipe Aladja out.”
The spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed that one person was killed and his head taken away by the attackers while the kidnapped 14-year-old girl had been rescued.
Aniamaka stated that the teenage girl was rescued by security operatives at the NPA Jetty in Warri, assuring that the police had restored normalcy to the crisis zone.
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