SAN FRANCISCO, November 08, (THEWILL) – A member of a local vigilante group in Ugborodo, an Itsekiri community in Delta State, was killed and five others injured on Tuesday by members of a local militia group, who hailed bullets on a boat conveying the local vigilante members guarding the community and oil pipeline in the area.
The attack, local sources said, may not be unconnected to the serial attack on persons perceived to be against some self-style leaders in the community.
Ugborodo, an oil producing community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, of recent, has been divided into factions as a result of alleged refusal by the former executive of the Ugborodo Trust Fund led by Chief Thomas Ereyitomi to hand over power two years after his tenure elapsed.
Three persons from the community were said to have been killed last November in a similar manner .
But the recent incident which occurred about 2:30am around 911 jetty in Ugborodo has thrown the entire community into confusion as the villagers expressed fear of the unknown as the leadership crisis in the community worsens.
Impeccable sources alleged that a former leader of the community and staunch member of the ruling party were behind the recent attack as the corpse of the victim, simply identified as Sunny, was taken away ,ostensibly, to clear up the mess.
A survivor of the fatal attack who gave his name as Romeo explained that six of the vigilante members were on guard duty at an oil pipeline because of several cases of illegal oil bunkering in the area when they were attacked by a seven-member militia identified as youths from Ugborodo at 911 Jetty, Akpakpa-Ajidabo village within Ugborodo community. He alleged that the attackers boasted that they were carrying out the offensive on behest of some community leaders who ordered them to “kill anybody that tends to stand on their way in the community.”
Romeo said that they were able to survive the attack because they fled into nearby bush leaving the deceased who ostensibly believe the attackers wouldn’t harm him.
“We are six in the boat early this morning to guide the area and we stopped at 911 Jetty to wait. While we were there, one speed boat drove down unknowing to us the people inside were armed with guns .
“The first person I saw was … and they pointed guns at us. Before we realised, they started shooting and Sunny who was still inside the boat was shot several times and some of us dived into the bush .
“When they left, we searched for Sunny but he was nowhere to be found. Until we discovered that blood has littered the boat. They mentioned some names before they shot at us saying the people sent them,” Romeo said .
The Spiritual Head (Oloja-Orori) of Ugborodo Community, Benson Dube, also explained how the vigilante members were attacked by the gunmen, saying he was alerted last night of fresh attack on the community youths who were on duty to protect oil facility in the area.
Dube who spoke on behalf of the Ugborodo community said five of the community youths who sustained several degrees of injuries are currently receiving treatment while one is reported killed but his corpse was purportedly taken away by the assailant.
“Because of the recent Federal Government decision to end oil bunkering, we as community decided to form a community security team to guide the area every night against activities of oil bunkerers .
“As at yesterday (Tuesday) some boys attacked our youths who were on duty and one of the youth is yet to be seen as I am talking to you. We gathered from the remaining boys that one of the youth was shot and the attackers left with the body. We are still searching for his body,” he said.
He explained that the incident was unprecedented in the history of the community and therefore appealed to the state government to ensure that peace reign in the community.
Mama Ayuwe who spoke for the women folks said fear has pervaded the community over the incident.
Some of the angry villagers fingered the Marine Police in the area for allegedly aiding and abetting in the attack, accusing them of working for the interest of a local leader to the detriment of the community.
Sources from the community told THEWILL that soldiers were deployed to the community last Monday morning to arrest some youth leaders over false information that they were planning to attack Chevron Nigeria Limited, Escravos but a security source who confided on our correspondent said it was a false alarm and a decoy for gunmen to attack the community Wednesday morning.
But when contacted, dismissed the claims of the youths who alleged he was responsibly for the attack saying that there was no such incident in the community.
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Lucky Oyebeme, said he was not aware of the incident, promising to call the Warri Area Commander for update on the incident and will call back. He never did as the time of filling in the report.
All efforts to reach the Commanding Officer, Joint Task Force (JTF), Major Gen. Ifeanyi Out, on the incident proved abortive as his mobile line was switched off but a security source said as at Wednesday evening, soldiers were sighted in gunboats moving toward the troubled Ugborodo community.
