No fewer than seven persons have been declared missing with several others sustaining injuries in a boat mishap in Ugborodo community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The cause of the incident is still sketchy at the time of filing this report but an official report by the Police says it was a boat mishap, stressing that it has nothing to do with attacks by the groups involved in factional leadership tussle in the community
However, an eye witness, Oritsegbemi Omasuli, an indigene of Ugborodo Community told DAILY POST that the passengers’ boat fully loaded at the Escravos Jetty in Ugborodo was heading to Warri when it was attacked by some armed youths reportedly loyal to the factional camp of the Ugborodo Community Management Committee, UCMC.
The eyewitness claimed that the attack was a reprisal masterminded by the members of the UCMC based on the wrong assumption that the opposing camp in Ugborodo community carried out the attack on a passenger boat that led to the death of two Ugborodo indigenes on Tuesday along the Escravos river.
Factional Chairman of Ugborodo Administrative Committee, Mr. Jolomi Samuel Metseagharun Corroborated the eyewitness claims in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST.
Metseagharun described the sad development in the community as a despicable act of desperation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state to foist its leadership on the people of Ugborodo who are predominantly members of the opposition All Progressives Congress ,APC.
Metseagharun who also doubled as the President General Ugborodo Community explained that what happened on Tuesday that the Austin Oboroegbeyi led camp ascribed to community indigenes was a false accusation as they had no knowledge of the attack on the ill- fated passengers’ boat.
He added that whatever must have happened had further confirmed that the members of the Ugborodo Community Management Committee were very unpopular in the community.
The Warri Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, ACP Mohammed Shaba, who confirmed the boat mishap said so far, only one person had been confirmed dead and few other persons sustained injuries in the boat.
He assured that the police was on top of the situation and had commenced search for other victims that may be involved in the accident.
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