Indigenes of troubled communities, especially Orhohworun town in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, have raised the alarm over threats to their lives, following upsurge in cases of rival cult clashes in the area, urging the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, to immediately come to their rescue.
Raising the alarm under the auspices of Concerned Citizens of Udu Communities (CCUC), the terrified indigenes, said the distress call to the police boss had become necessary, as they cannot continue to fold their arms watching the senseless killings of innocent people all in the name of cult war.
The body in a statement signed by Hon. Godspower Oghenewegba and Comrade John Efeurhobo, Chairman and Secretary respectively, noted that their people can no longer cope with the fears, intimidations and harassment they have been subjected to in the last four years when cult clashes started.
While applauding the efforts of the state governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa and Udu Council Chairman, Chief Jite Brown, in tackling the issue since the escalation of rival cult war in the area, the body called for more stringent measures in bringing the situation under control, inorder to guaranty the safety of lives and property in the area.
According to the statement; “There are various confraternities of different dimension. Each one of the cult group wants to lord it over the other in a gun battle, fighting, maiming, killing, burning of houses and property and looting has been the order of the day.
“In recent time, the community where I come from, Orhohworun, is nothing but a theatre of war between rival cult groups fighting for supremacy, the worst of Its kind, a situation where people could no longer sleep in peace and walk in peace, the Orhuwhorun community in Udu Local Government Area has become a ghost town, schools in the locality no longer function as it used to be, taking of human lives has become the order of the day in a once upon a time peaceful community.”
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Continuing; “Before, Udu Local Government Area has been so peaceful due to the efforts of the Local Government Chairman; Chief Jite Brown (JP) who is an astute apostle of peace, in collaboration with other security operations in the locality; including the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Civil Defense and Security Commission (NCDSC).
“The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Security Matters were not left out in restoring peace to the community of Orhuwhorun and Udu at large. They were able to bring the ugly situation to a stand still through the effort of the Executive Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa (A Bridge Builder and Peace Ambassador).
“The recent spate of killings and destruction of property and burning started in Orhuwhorun community which later escalated to Mofor Park where innocent people were killed and several others wounded. As of now, the wounded are still receiving treatment in various hospitals both far and near. And most of the cult gangs that are involved in this act of killing are known to be notorious cult members,” he disclosed.
“In the garage at Mofor, from DSC Township down to Mofor Park have become a beehive of clandestine activities where they always plan attacks on the other cult gang even in broad day light.”
It claimed further, “In a nutshell, some politicians in the locality are trying to cover them up by removing them from State C.I.D Asaba, Delta State to zone 5 in Benin City and the State C.I.D in Asaba was abreast with the situation on ground in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State for them not to carry out their function they were taken to Benin to cover up.
“So we the concerned citizens of Udu communities are calling on the Inspector General of Police to dive into the matter with utmost urgency to see that justice is not denied. We so believe in the office of the IGP to use his good office to wade into this ugly situation where justice will finally have its way,” the body appealed.
“In every land and clime, in a sane and justifiable society where the rule of law is always prevailing, those found wanting in these barbaric acts should be made to face the wrath of the law. The law is axe, ignorance of the law is not an excuse to perpetuate evil.
“Those who must stand before justice must come with clean hands. And if these cult boys are let loose in the society again, it will cause more harm than good,” it stated.
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