–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –By Michael EKOKORUWE:
The women of Uzere kingdom, Isoko South local government area of Delta State, have protested peacefully to the local government council over renewed kingship tussle by supporters of the traditional rulers of Uzere kingdom as 15 persons sustained various degrees of injuries in the area.
The protesters, who were wailing and calling for immediate rescue,.marched through the council headquarters gate in Oleh, displaying various placards with inscriptions as “Your Excellency Come To Our Aid”, “Peace Has Eluded Uzere Kingdom” and “Nigerian Army Aiding the Freedom Fighters in Uzere with vehicles number 001 and 002.”
Speaking to newsmen, Chief Mrs. Ewenede Josephine said, the community has been thrown into crisis as supporters of the traditional rulers clashed with machetes and guns resulting to hostility, with many injured and others taking refuge in other nearby communities.
She alleged that a group known as Freedom Fighters within the community has been terrorizing residents of the area, using Army vehicles sent to maintain peace and later disembarked into hiding.
Chief Mrs. Ewenede noted that, some of the victims with machetes and gun injuries are receiving treatments at undisclosed location in the local government area, adding that tension has gripped residents as many leave in palpable fear of the unknown.
She said, “Two kings cannot reign in one community, which is why we are calling on the government to come and restore peace into the community”. Chief Mrs. Ewenede asked the state government to prevail on whoever is fueling the crisis to allow peace reign in Uzere kingdom.
While responding to the women, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, Chairman Isoko South local government area, urged the women to maintain peace, assuring that the state government is on top of the situation.
The local government boss and ALGON chairman Delta State maintained that, stakeholder’s emergency meeting between leaders of the two factions in the community to resolve the crisis would hold at Uzere Civic Center on Tuesday 25th of February 2020.
He asked the women to return home even as the situation is under control.
