Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State has alleged that the police injured an Ogbe-Ijoh indigene during a confrontation by armed Ogbe-Ijoh and Isaba youths on the night of Sunday, January 15.
The Ogbe-Ijoh people had in a report claimed that one of its indigenes was allegedly injured by the Aladja people.
But a leader of Aladja community, Comrade Ighotegwolor Bezi has raised a fresh allegation while reacting to a media report wherein the Ogbe-Ijoh people claimed that one Felix Augustine was allegedly injured by armed Aladja people.
Bezi who is also a human rights activist denied the report, describing the same as baseless, misleading and a calculated attempt to further cause war in the area.
” The report which is sponsored by Ogbe-Ijoh people shows the police in the area have compromised,” he said.
He also stated that the report was an indictment on the police in the area.
Bezi explained that,” the police in Aladja community injured Felix Augustine because they were the ones that repelled the attacks by Ogbe-Ijoh and Isaba people on Sunday, January 15 at about 9:45pm”.
Bezi challenged the police including those peddling the rumour to produce the said Felix Augustine who the Ogbe-Ijoh people claimed to have been injured by Aladja people for questioning.
In his words,” The person should state where he was injured, the time, area and what he was doing at Aladja when the Ogbe-Ijoh and Isaba people attacked us.”
He also expressed fears over an imminent arrest of the the President of Aladja community council, Mr. Elias Dogene.
Bezi claimed that the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Zanna Mohammed had in an invitation ordered Mr. Elias Dogene, President of Aladja community council to report at the State command in Asaba latest today, Tuesday.
He warned that the police should be careful with whatever they do to the community, noting that he is recuperating from an ailment and has just returned from the hospital.
“We are afraid our leader, the President of Aladja Community Council, Elias Dogene, may be arrested by the police. The CP is insisting that he must come to Asaba and we know he will be arrested if he goes there. Just last week, the police arrested three persons each from the three communities and if he is arrested, it will make the number of persons arrested from Aladja four in number. This may cause trouble in the area. The police should be mindful of what they do to Elias Dogene because he is recuperating from sickness and has just returned from hospital.”
But in swift reaction, the Delta State Acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka denied the claims by Aladja community that the Ogbe-Ijoh indigene was injured by stray bullets from the police.
” It is not true that Felix Augustine was injured by stray bullets from the police. Aladja people cannot allege that.”
DSP Aniamaka explained that the police only went to quell a crisis that erupted between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities on Sunday night.
He noted that Felix Augustine may have been injured due to the sporadic shootings from both communities.
DSP Aniamaka also advised the President of Aladja community council, Mr. Elias Dogene to obey and honour police invitation, stressing,”They cannot be saying we want to arrest him when he has not come. Let him obey first. He should honour the invitation and let us see what follows. He is a leader of a community and he should understand we are supposed to be partners in progress.”
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