Home » News » Land Dispute Left 11 Hospitalised, Others Injured Land Dispute Left 11 Hospitalised, Others Injured

NOT fewer than Eleven persons were yesterday, hospitalized and several others sustained various degrees of injuries, following crisis that erupted between Oghior and Ukpiovwin communities in Udu Local Government Area, Delta state, over the ownership of the land where the Nigeria National Petroleum Development Company pipelines are laid that run across the Oghior/Ukpiovwin road.

President General of Oghior community, Hon. Wisdom Ghaghara who briefed newsmen at a private hospital where some of the victims are currently receiving treatment, said, “the people of Ukpiovwin have been disturbing us over the ownership of the land where the Abura Field pipelines owned by NPDC are laid. Hence we decided to report the issue at Zone 5 Police Headquarters, Benin and they were invited by the police but refused to honour the invitation”.

He added, “It was when I was in my office at Oghior that some of my youths working at the pipeline along Oghior/Ukpiovwin road ran to Oghior and told us that some Ukpiovwin youths under the directive of two prominent leaders of Ukpiovwin in their hundreds stormed the site at which they were working with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons and attacked them which left many of them half dead”.

According to Hon. Ghaghara, many of the youths that injured as a result of the attack are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the state. “I have officially reported the issue at the Ovwian/Aladja Police Station but I still want to appeal to the Governor of Delta state, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Commissioner of Police and other security outfits to come to our aide because we don’t have weapons to wage war against them,” he said.

Some of the injured youths receiving treatment in various hospitals across the state includes; Messer Friday Akpotaire, Igho Ododofor, John Bigidi, Samuel Ovokoraibie, Ekwetafia Obaseki, Okito Ovokoraibie, John Krekpe, Donatus Toria, Asharp Kolodi, Godbles Kolodi, Okiemute Kolodi and many others.     

Efforts to reach the President General of Ukpiovwin community prove abortive as his cellphone was switched off as at press time but a member of the Ukpiovwin community who don’t want his name on print said he pleaded with the Oghior youths to allow the Ukpiovwin youths work at the pipeline site for at least one day but they refused, “so they got what they bargained for”, he added.      

When contacted, chairman, Udu Local Government Council, Hon. Solomon Kpomah, said he has contacted the DPO Ovwian/Aladja Police station and the JTF Commander to mobilize their men to the trouble area in order to restore peace and order.

When contacted, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Celestina Kalu said she was busy as at press time but a police source at the Ovwian/Aladja Police Station confirmed the story, saying efforts are in top gear to bring the situation under control.