A
popular Ijaw youth leader identified as Mr Ebi Tontimi, has been
reportedly beheaded while others sustained injuries in an attack in
Ogbe-Ijoh-Isaba community in Warri.
According to reports the attack was led by youths from Aladja, a neighbouring Urhobo community on Thursday 16th November.
The
Niger Delta Ex-Agitators’ for Peace Organization (NDEPO) has called on
the Delta state governor, Arthur Okowa Ifeanyi to intervene to
discourage such dastardly acts, adding that the senseless killings do
not portray the state government in good light as would-be investors may
be scared to come to the area.
Speaking
with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, the Country Coordinator of Niger
Delta Ex-Agitators for Peace Organization, Comrade Ambassador George
Sinclair expressed worry that such unwarranted and senseless killings in
the local government area, speaks volume of the high level insecurity
in the state, particularly in Warri South West local government area,
saying that if the ugly trend is allowed to continue without meaningful
and visible government’s intervention, the insecurity level may
degenerate to a point where there could be reprisal attacks that could
lead to a full scale inter community war.
He
therefore called on the state governor to immediately set a judicial
commission of enquiry to investigate the remote cause of the unprovoked
invasion of the community to quickly to stop the killings and resolve
the crisis, lamenting that it was appalling to hear of a neighboring
community invading a sister community to the point of even beheading two
enterprising young men in broad day light.
The ex-agitators leader who described the incident as a surprise
attack on the collective sensibilities of the people, blamed the Delta
state government for its insensitivity over the protracted inter
community crisis that has been going on for a while without any
noticeable intervention from either the state governor or the Delta
State House of Assembly.