Six dead, many wounded, as Delta communities dispute over land

There was pandemonium in Okoloba and Okuama communities in Bomadi and Ughelli South local government areas, respectively, in Delta State on Saturday, engaged in a shootout over land dispute with six people already confirmed dead, and many others sustained various degrees of bullet wounds.

Recall that the two communities engaged in a war of words over trespass on land and fishing lakes last year, with claims by one community of threats to attack them by the other, as well as calling on the state government to intervene.

A community source who spoke on the condition of anonymity made it known that the shooting started yesterday (Saturday), when six people went down with others sustaining bullet wounds.

He said, “You are aware that this crisis has been brewing since last year, when our community sent an open letter calling on the state government to intervene and urging the government to call the aggressor, the Okuoma community, to order.

“Yesterday, between the hours of 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., the two communities engaged in a face-to-face shootout, and six persons went down on the side of Okuama, including three mercenaries from other communities. They are Urhobo and Ijaw mercenaries.

“Today, any moment from now (around 5.20 pm), any side can start the attack again.”