Just In: 17 houses burnt as two Udu communities clash over land

Report reaching Fresh Angle International, says over 17 houses were yesterday, Tuesday June 15, burnt in Obubu Community as Obubu and Oleri Communities, in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, clashed over boundary dispute.

Tempers reportedly rose yesterday afternoon, when a company into real estate development from Obubu Community, was alleged to have trespassed into the neighboring Oleri Community bushes, prompting violent reactions from Oleri. People of Oleri allegedly invaded Obubu Community, setting several houses on fire to express their grievances.

Obubu Community was totally deserted as women, children and the elderly fled to avoid being caught up by the raging violence.

A source from Oleri Community, whose name was not disclosed, claimed that Obubu were the aggressors, saying they overstepped their boundary to invade Oleri land with bulldozers and other equipment without provocation.

According to another source, the Obubu warriors allegedly attempt invading Oleri in the early hours of today, Wednesday June 16, but were successfully resisted by Oleri youths.

Several persons from both Oleri and Obubu were said to have been injured, but no death was recorded as at the time of this report.

The Police in the area had gone into swift action to arrest the tide of violence by apprehending the Presidents of Obubu and Oleri Communities.

This Newspaper gathered that soldiers had been drafted to the scene of fighting, particularly the boundary area to stop any invasion from either community.

Speaking to newsmen, the lawmaker representing Obubu in Udu Local Government Council, Hon. Awhotu Oputu, lamented the destruction visited on Obubu, stressing that both Obubu and Oleri had a lot in common and that it was unfortunate the boundary dispute resulted in such degree of destruction.

Speaking in the same vein, Barr. Moses Segba, who is from Obubu Community, described the development as unfortunate, adding that whatever issues that may have arisen could have been settled amicably, without resorting to violence, urging youths from both communities to embrace peace so as to identify the immediate and remote causes of the crisis towards peaceful resolution.

Outspoken community leader, Comrade Johnbull Gbejegbe from Oleri community, in his remarks, also lamented the misunderstanding, urging the youths to sheathe their swords for amicable resolution of the matter.

He added that while he was yet to get full details of what happened since he was not resident in the community, he assured that he was going to approach stakeholders from the community so as to caution the youths to give peace a chance and allow the government to find a lasting solution to the periodic clashes between both communities.

He also appealed to Obubu Community leaders to caution their youths to desist from violent approach to the boundary dispute, stressing that as neighbours, such misunderstanding were bound to happen but could easily be resolved without violence.

Photos of some of the houses burnt

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