Governor Okowa of Delta State

Fresh trouble is brewing between the Ijaw people of Gbaramatu and their immediate Urhobo neighbor in Aladja Aladja in Udu local government area of Delta state over alleged abduction of two men.

The two young men from Gbaramatu were allegedly abducted on Wednesday.

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Gbaramatu clan chapter, in a statement on Friday said the missing men were abducted by some members of the Aladja community and must be released within 48 hours.

In a statement signed by clan Chairman, Comrade Godstime Ayetan, Information Officer, Comrade Godswill Doubra Wuruyai and clan parliamentarian, Comr. Frank Ekpemupolo, IYC said the two young men were ‘mistakenly’ abducted by some people Aladja community with the believe that they are from the Ijaw community of Ogbeh Ijoh which they have been having a dispute with over land.

IYC therefore 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 it must not be forcefully dragged into the crisis.

“Aladja youths should not spread the war to cover for all Ijaw people by killing anybody 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.

“IYC 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.

Also commenting on the incident, Edwin Aken, President of Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri kingdom Youth 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 Urhobos and Aladja persons in Ogbe-Ijoh town and environment, we don’t hurt them.

“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 these guys are not released we will be forced do what we’ve been avoiding”.

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.

However, Aladja Youth President,. Wisdom Onatomre denied the incident, emphasizing that nothing of such happened in his community. He said, “I have gone round the town nothing of such happened in this community and I don’t know where such 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 communities.