The 30-year-old Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communal crisis in Delta State is threatening to boil over, once again, over the shooting of two females, allegedly by Aladja community warriors.

Aladja women staged a peaceful protest on Friday to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the historical crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives, accusing their Ijaw neighbours of aggression.

They accused Ogbe-Ijoh aggression and called for the demarcation of the contentious boundary to ensure a lasting peace in the area.

Ogbe-Ijoh Leaders of Thought, in a letter to the state government, made available to our reporter yesterday, accused Aladja of attempting to hoodwink the public after Wednesday’s dastardly shooting of the two female students aged 13 and 23.

They accused their Urhobo neighbours of crying wolf, noting that the women’s protest was borne of guilt and fear of possible reprisal for the dastardly shooting of their community members.

“The truth is that the protest was informed by likely reprisal attack from Ogbe-Ijoh people because assailants from Aladja in the early hours of Wednesday, 12th July 2023,” the OILT, stated in a statement by Hon Michael Oweikpdor, chiefs Lucky Oromoni and Roland Takembo, as well as David Omare.

“The protesters in their deceptive tradition alleged that Ogbe-Ijoh people breached several peace accords as regards the communal conflict, whereas it is on record that the people of Aladja on countless occasions violated peace accords leading to several Police invitations including the Ovie of Udu who resides and operates from Aladja Community.”

Our reporter recalled that the two neigbours have been locked in a fierce and bloody battle over land ownership and boundary dispute since the early 1990s.

The crisis has seen the institution of countless commissions of enquiry, but none has been implemented, due to what the Ogbe-Ijoh leaders alleged was blackmail and use of several antics by their neighbours.

They appeal to the state government to ensure peace for the various litigations and legal contests over the matter to be resolved. (The Nation, excluding headline)

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