Sequel to the communal clash between Okuama in Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom, Ughelli South Local Government Area and Okoloba community in Bomadi LGA Delta State with three people dead leaving others with varying degrees of injuries recently, the Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanakpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro has sued for peace, calling on the warring communities to allow peace to reign in the area.
According to Mayor Akpodoro who spoke to newsmen in his Ughelli country home pn Wednesday, land is too little a thing to cause war between a once peaceful people who he said have lived together over the years.
The two communities have been embroiled in internecine war over the ownership of a controversial land lying between the two communities.
Sources hinted that three persons from Okuama were taken hostage by the other community who allegedly killed them in the melee that engulfed the area penultimate week.
The Mayor is calling on both the federal and state governments to intervene immediately to avoid escalation of the crisis, saying that security of life and the properties of residents in the area should be of concern to all.
He called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently beam searchlight in that direction to forestall a reprisal attack in the ensuing armed confrontation, noting that a stitch in time saves nine.
The mayor called on the federal government to immediately cause a tight security in that area, saying there are major security threats in the area.
Pointedly, he called on the National Security Adviser to the President, Director General of the Department of State Secuirty, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to come to the peoples’ aid.
The mayor also called on opinion leaders in both Urhobo and Ijaw land to step up action to nip the strife in the bud for peace to reign.
“Both communities have lived together for years even with the land in question, but never did they fight for once. So, why are they fighting now? Some agents of discord must have drifted to both communities to stoke trouble and the security agents must be handy to maintain law and order in the area by getting to the root of the matter.
“I stand against all forms of crisis among my people. Every life matters, and as their mayor, I have the onerous responsibility to ensure peace is brought to bear in the area. What is land compared to human lives? We must change our orientation and embrace peace at all times. The mentality of taking another man’s life over trivial things must be changed.” His Excellency stated.
