- Crisis has nothing to do with Gbaramatu-Ogbe-Ijoh Youth President
- We did not abduct Gbaramatu youths-Aladja Youth President
WARRI-Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Gbaramatu clan chapter has called on leaders of Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta state, to release within 48hours two Gbaramatu young men abducted by their youths on Wednesday July 13, 2017.
In a statement signed by clan Chairman, Comrade Godstime Ayetan, Information Officer, Comrade Godswill Doubra Wuruyai and clan parliamentarian, Comr. Frank Ekpemupolo, the youths described abduction of Gbaramatu youths by Aladja community as mistaken identity, hence the young men must be released within the stipulated time.
The youths warned Aladja not to spread the land dispute between them and Ogbe-Ijoh to other Ijaw kingdoms/clans, stressing that Gbaramatu remains neutral in the unfortunate land dispute between the parties, hence she must not be forcefully dragged into the crisis.
“Aladja youths should not spread the war to cover for all Ijaw people by killing any body that is from Ijaw ethnic extraction, as we are aware that a boy from Egbema kingdom was massacred in cold blood by same Aladja youths in the course of this crisis which has already made the scope of the unfortunate crisis a bit too wide.
“We remain neutral in the fracas between the belligerent parties and should not be convoluted to the crisis”, the IYC executives said.
They called on Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja to reach a compromise on the said land dispute in order to give peace a chance.
Crisis has nothing to do with Gbaramatu-Ogbe-Ijoh
Speaking to GbaramatuVoice on the unfortunate incident, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri kingdom Youth President, Comr. Edwin Aken said the land dispute between the two communities has nothing to do with other Ijaws or Urhobos, business men and other travelers, stressing that despite the dispute a lot of Urhobos and Aladja persons reside in Ogbe-Ijoh town and its environs without molestation.
“The Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja land dispute has nothing to do with other Ijaws or Urhobos, business men and passerby. There are a lot of Uhrobos and Aladja persons in Ogbe-Ijoh town and environment we don’t hurt them.
Also read: Tension, as Aladja youths abduct two Gbaramatu men
“First they kill two Ogbe-Ijoh men, another young man from Egbema and now two innocent persons from Gbaramatu, we have seen that there is no peace agenda in the mind of Aladja people. If this guys are not released we will be forced do what we’ve been avoiding”, Comrade Aken declared.
The youth president called on Delta State Acting Governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, leaders and youths of Aladja to release the two young men in order to promote the ongoing peace talk.
Nothing of such happened-Aladja
Also speaking with GbaramatuVoice, Aladja Youth President, Comr. Wisdom Onatomre denied the incident, emphasizing that nothing of such happened in his community.
He said, “I have gone round the town and even as I am talking with you I am with my leaders now in our community town hall deliberating this issue. Nothing of such happened in this community and I don’t know where such is coming from.
“Even the Local Government chairman (Warri South West), the way he has been taking this thing, he has been very nice. So honestly I don’t know where this thing is coming from. We have checked everywhere, but nothing like that. I don’t know the set or group of people who are trying to set us up.”
He stressed further that Aladja people don’t have any problem with Gbaramatu kingdom and Gbaramatu people have never been part of the crisis between the the communities.
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