Controversy has continued to trail the alleged attack on the convoy of the wife of Delta State Governor, Dame Edith Okowa, at Aladja Community, Udu Local Government Area of Delta.
Youths from the community some weeks ago had reportedly barricaded the road leading to Aladja from where they swooped on the advance team of the Governor’s wife, injuring some medical personal and vandalising vehicles in the convoy.
The advance team which comprised of medical personnel and other support staff of Delta State first lady, Dame Edith Okowa’s “O5” Initiative Healthcare programme were heading to Ogbe-Ijoh council in continuation of the programme in that part of the state when the incident occurred.
As a result of the attack; the 05 free medical initiatives which was to take place at Ogbe-Ijoh for the people of Warri South West Local Government Area was cancelled.
But Aladja community leaders have exonerated the community from the incident, saying that the fear for the safety of civilians coupled with ignorance, made the Aladja youths to resist the attempt by soldiers who escorted the medical personnel from passing through their community.
President of Aladja Community Council, Comrade Elias Dogene, Chief Photo Ogbe, Oghwuvwie-General, Oghwuvwie Traditional Council and Mr Asifor Samson, Aladja Welfare Movement Chairman denied the report that its youths attacked the convoy of the Governor’s wife.
“There was no attack at Aladja or any other place. The allegations in the report are “malicious” stressing that, “it is a prelude and an excuse to attack Aladja Community again.” It was a “misunderstanding” as well as show of bravado by the soldiers escorting the medical team to Ogbe-Ijaw, the leaders said.
“Two days earlier, the leadership of Aladja got intelligence report that the Ijaws wanted to ambush the medical team and make it look like it was Aladja that carried out the attacks.
“This was reported to the JTF and Police Station at Aladja. To confirm their preparedness to carry out such sinister act, there were several gunshots from Ogbe-Ijoh in the noon time around 2pm. The Military and the Police heard them’’.
“Few hours later, the advance team came and was to pass through. A few youths approached the Soldiers and expressed their fears about the safety of the team and advised the Security strength be increased in the event that the Ijaws carry out their plans.
“While the argument was going on between the youths and Soldiers, the vehicles carrying the civilians reversed and left the military men. Nobody was beaten nor molested.
Despite that, Ijaw Youth Council, lYC, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan, condemned the attack in its entirety, describing Aladja Community as “lawless and dominated by criminal minded persons including the high level of leadership”.
IYC’s Clan Chairman, Comrade Smart Okosu, in a statement said, “It is unthinkable for members of any community within the state to attack the convoy of the wife of the Governor of the state”and that the attack on the convoy of the Governor’s wife is “an attack on the Governor of Delta State”.
“To demonstrate the complicity of the Aladja community leadership, the attack on the convoy of the first lady was led by the Councilor representing Aladja community in the Udu Local Government Legislative Arm who works directly under the Chairman of the Udu Council Area, Mr. Jite Brown”, the statement said.
They alleged that the council chairman, Mr. Brown “is using government fund to sponsor the Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communal crisis and criminal elements in Aladja Community. The way and manner the Aladja Community is behaving is as if they are above the laws of this country. We state that no community or groups of people are above the laws of the country. The leaders of the Aladja community who masterminded the attack on the convoy of the wife of the Governor of Delta State, Dame Edit Okowa should be brought to justice’’.
Consequently, the IYC Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan has called for the arrest and prosecution of the Aladja Community leaders including Mr. Jite Brown; Chairman of Udu Local Government Area, Chairman of Aladja Community; Elias Dogene, Chief T. C. Wiliki, Alhaji Dauda and other Aladja leaders who they claimed allegedly “sponsoring and encouraging the ongoing criminality in Aladja community.
“The Aladja community has become a criminal hideout with the active support of the leaders of the community and they must be brought to justice for the criminality to stop”, the statement.
The Governor’s wife and her team have in the past few weeks going round the 25 council areas of the state, dispensing free drugs and healthcare to rural communities with no record of security breach.