fresh crisis, which broke out on Saturday at Uzere community under Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State has left over 20 persons brutally injured and battling for life at various hospitals.
Members of the community especially youths engaged themselves in a violent clash that fateful day over N20m donated by the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, operators of the Oil Mining Lease 28.
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SaharaReporters gathered that the fresh crisis was also as a result of some community issues relating to fines and the setting up of a parallel marriage committee by an exiled leader of the community and a top government official at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission to enable them conduct marriages for two of their supporters.
It was gathered that after the crisis last weekend, some youth were attacked during a peace meeting on Monday.
Narrating the fresh crisis to SaharaReporters, an indigene, who does not want his name mentioned, said, “The weekend crisis happened when some community leaders approached one of the supporters loyal to a top management official of the DESOPADEC and one of our exiled community leader to pay a fine imposed on him if not he will not be allowed to organise his marriage billed for last weekend with a warning to the community’s marriage committee not to conduct the marriage.
“Efi, the supporter, ignored all warnings to pay his N150,000 fines before the party, and he put a call to the DESOPADEC official and the exiled leader to report the situation of things to them.
“A parallel marriage committee was set up which conducted the weekend ceremony for Efi and another of the DESOPADEC official and the exiled leader with tight security to counter any attack.
“As soon as the ceremony was over and guests and security left the community, a bloody attack was launched on the other faction belonging to the DESOPADEC official and the exiled leader, recording over 20 casualties with bullet and cutlass wounds.
“Some were taken to trado-medical homes to extract bullets while others to hospitals at Ughelli, Oghara and UBTH.”
When our correspondent visited Oleh Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Na-Allah Mohammed, was seen mobilizing personnel to the troubled community to guard against a break down or law and order.
The DPO declined comment when our correspondent approached him.
When our correspondent contacted the Public Relations Officer for the police in the state, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, she failed to respond to a text message sent to her on the matter.
