Okoloba/Okuama Crisis, Soldiers Killing, Group Blames Delta State Govt
By Ezekiel Kagbala
The President of Niger Delta Youth Council, NDYC, Comr. Bene Youkore Mamamu, on Friday said Delta State Government's lackadaisical attitude towards addressing land ownership and boundary issues between tribes in the state gave room for greater communal crisis each year in the state.
For a matters that could easily be solved with the instrumentality of policy and law making, government does little or nothing to end inter communal clash which often snowball into tribal arm conflict and mindless taking of lives in large numbers. Mamamu insisted that when the state government does not take seriously minor communal land disputes, they end up creating a fertile ground for crises.
Speaking with newsmen on Friday March 22nd 2024, through its President, Bene Youkore Mamamu, a.k.a. Young Chief, condemning the killing of 17 Soldiers who were on a peace mission over the fight between Okoloba and Okuama communities in Bomadi and Ughelli South local government Areas.
He noted that the State government appeared to have been “overwhelmed with yearly communal clashes as the government has not deemed it fit to revoke disputed lands and create new requirements for ownerships or make boundary adjustments with conspicuous domacations.
As a way forward, he called on the Governor of Delta State, RT Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to establish a special agency for the purpose of resolve land boundary disputes that often result in bloody communal clashes in the states.
As matter of urgency, government should consider activating Delta State boundary commission and land dispute resolution agency as a means of ending all communal clashes which could snowball into full blown war with destabilising impact on governance, the economy and the society at large.
He further noted that the unprovoked and irrational killing of Soldiers by monstrous militia in the name of communal clash remains highly condemnable act of unparallel aggressive rebellion and height of infamy in the annals of supposed peaceful coexistence.
Leadership tussles and land disputes in Delta State have been the major causes of lethal violence and communal instability, In August 2022, for instance, a youth leader was reportedly shot dead and three others wounded during a clash over a leadership tussle in Ufuoma community, Ughelli North LGA.
In September 16, 2022,, a passenger was reportedly shot dead and a community leader was seriously injured during a clash between two rival groups over a leadership tussle in Igbide community, Isoko South LGA. a middle-aged man was also reportedly killed during renewed clashes over a boundary dispute between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities in Udu and Warri South-West LGAs respectively.
The problem between Okoloba and Okuama as it affects all Deltans started with disagreements over land ownership, In 2003, a violence. situation had once happened between Okwagbe in Ughelli South LGA and Ijaws in Ayakoromo, Burutu local government area over land dispute.
In May 2023, a man was reportedly shot during a clash between fishers from Oboro community in Burutu LGA and Alota community in Ughelli South LGA. The incident reportedly intensified tensions between the Ijaw (Oboro) and Urhobo (Alota) communities in the area.
Delta State government should not wait for conflict to get out of hand before acting to address such situations. there should be show of capacity on the path of the Governor to establish a dedicated conflict resolution body to proactively resolve disputes before they escalate beyond control.
It should be shameful that the lingering age-long communal crises between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities in Udu and Warri South-West local government areas is a problem that was left to longer for far too long and hundreds of lives have been lost, There is no better time for the government to wakeup to it's responsibilities than now.
