Former President General of Evwreni Clan Improvement Union, Hon Victor Ohare, and a yet to be identified soldier were on Saturday allegedly shot, while three houses were set ablaze in a renewed crisis rocking Evwreni community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Some members of the community’s disbanded vigilante are said to be behind the attack following the death of their Chairman, Mr Tuesday Okuah, in police custody at Abuja.

Three houses and a car belonging to some leaders of the community were reportedly set ablaze, while some shops were either vandalised or destroyed.

There had been reports of heightened tension in the community following the dispute that has trailed the leadership of the community vigilante outfit which had already claimed about three lives, with many property destroyed.

A community source, who pleaded for anonymity, disclosed that boys loyal to the former vigilante chairman, who allegedly committed suicide while in police detention, carried out the attacks.

According him, “As soon as news filtered into the town that that Mr Tuesday Okuah committed suicide while in detention, his boys went on rampage, shooting sporadically. In the process, one Hon. Victor Ohare was shot and he is in critical condition.

“Not done, they proceeded to set the house of Prince Matthew Uba ablaze. The house of the Odion-Esiri of Evwreni and his car were also set ablaze, while the car of Willfred Otuedor and the shop of Nathan Oruemu were destroyed.

“They equally attempted to burn down the house of a former Executive Director of Projects (EDP) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Adjogbe, but were repelled by the mobile policemen stationed at the compound, who exchanged gunshots with the arsonists.

“Late into the evening, we also heard that one of the soldiers that were drafted restore peace to the community was shot by the rampaging disbanded vigilante boys when they were ambushed on their way to the community, and that he was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

“As we speak, people are fleeing the community and the boys are going about shooting sporadically unchallenged. From the look of things, if nothing is done urgently, more lives will be lost.”

News Express reports that Mr. Tuesday Okuah, the ex-vigilante Chairman, the traditional monarch of the community, HRM Oghenekwevwe Kumane, and six others – Hon Sam Mariere, K. K. Kumane, James Asakpa, Ochuko Kumane, Kelly Omojugheri and Stephen Atiri – were all invited to Asaba by the IGP team investigating the murder of one Mr Sylvester Adjogbe, a relative of Mr Sam Adjogbe, the former NDDC EDP.

However, the King and Hon Mariere were released on bail, while late Tuesday Okuah and three others were taken to Abuja. It was while in custody that Mr Okwa allegedly committed suicide after refusing to cooperate with police investigators.

When contacted, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, feigned ignorance of the incident, saying that the state command is not aware of the incident.

He said: “I’m in Delta; I do not know what is happening in Abuja. I am just hearing it from you now because we were not informed. If we are not the ones investigating the matter, I won’t know. As far as our command is concerned, we are not aware of it.”

•PHOTO: Aftermath of rampage by members of the disbanded vigilante group in Evwreni community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State