By Onome Oghenetega
No fewer than three persons have been reportedly killed in the renewed land dispute between Oghior and Ukpiovwin communities in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The bloody clash also resulted in destruction of property worth several millions of naira from both communities as at on Wednesday.
It was learned that the three deceased were from Oghior community as angry youths dumped their corpses in the community townhall.
Tension has gripped residents of the area as rampaging youths set bonfires and barricaded major roads in the communities.
The latest clash, sources said, started when an alleged buyer of the disputed land mobilized Ukpiovwin youths to the area to develop the piece of land measuring 100/50m which was already a subject of litigation.
Our source disclosed that the attempt to develop the plot was resisted by Oghior youths resulting in rising tempers between the contending and hitherto peaceful communities.
The President General of the Union of Udu Communities, who incidentally is from Ukpiovwin community, immediately summon a meeting of community leaders to resolve the crisis in his Ukpiovwin home.
‘’After the meeting, the Oghior delegation could not find any means of transportation out of Ukpiovwin to Oghior as all roads to Ukpiovwin were already closed to traffic because of the crisis.
“The Youth Chairman of Ukpiovwin offered to take the Oghior delegation home only to be attacked in Oghior on Tuesday. The attack prepared the ground for the clashes which led to the unfortunate death of the victims on Wednesday.
“By Wednesday morning, the Chairman of Udu Local Government Council, Chief Jite Brown directed the DPO of Ovwian-Aladja police division to mobilize to the crisis zone to calm the contending forces and make for peace”, one of the sources said.
While waiting for security agencies to be deployed to the troubled communities, youths from Ukpiovwin launched fresh attack on Oghior which led to the killing of the three persons all youths on Wednesday afternoon.
The Vice Chairman of Udu LGA, Mr Justice Iyasere, confirmed the renewed clash in the area but could not give details on the number of persons killed.
He said Udu community leaders and the Local Government Council were making efforts to calm both communities and resolve the issue.
The police could not be reached on the development as at the time of filing this report.
