We are under siege, Delta community raises alarm

…urges Govt, and security agencies to intervene

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

INDIGENES and residents of Otulu, a satellite town of the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta State, weekend, raised alarm over an alleged threat to the peace and security of the community by a terror gang being led by a young man (named withheld).

The people who came out in large numbers to protest the development decried that the community has been under siege by the terror gang, lamenting that the gang has been going about terrorising the agrarian community unchallenged by security agencies.

The ‘Okwuobani’ (community leader), Chief Anthony Enurah who spoke on behalf of the people, said; “enough is enough of the nefarious activities of the gang”, appealing to the Federal, State, Local Governments and security agencies to come to their aid.

While lamenting that he was chased out of the community in 2021 by the gang after the gang leader unilaterally declared himself the Obi of Otulu, Enurah said he spent 15 months in exile before returning to the community.

He alleged that upon his return to the community, the gang held the town to ransom by firing gunshots all night on January 31, 2023.

According to him, the gang leader had been previously arrested, lamenting that rather than being made to face prosecution, he allegedly bought his way out of lawful custody.

While insisting that Otulu remained one of the towns under the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom and not an autonomous community as falsely declared by the said gang leader, Enurah berated his subjects for failing to speak against the actions of the gang leader out of fear of being attacked.

He said: “You are keeping quiet because you don’t want to die, who is going to die for you? Remember that Pastor Caleb was thrown into the pit where they poured pepper on him, the same thing they did to the secretary of the community, Monye.

“They will come and flog you, they will invade the market and confiscate your goods, they have curtailed your liberty, warning you to stay indoors as early as 7 pm.

“And yet you are keeping quiet. Why are you all afraid to speak about what you have observed in Otulu?

“The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku said intimidation must end in Otulu whether anybody likes it or not. Ogwashi-Uku owned the Otulu community right from time immemorial.

“I am using this opportunity to cry out to the federal, state and local governments to come to the aid of Otulu, our people are dying in silence at the hands of the terror gang.

“We appeal to the authorities, the gang leader is not supposed to be moving freely, he was issued a bench warrant, he should be arrested and prosecuted”.

Mr Afam Uweagha who also spoke alleged that the gang started unleashing terror on residents as far back as 2016, lamenting that “they kill, maim, rape women, bury people alive, forcefully take over the people’s means of livelihood and commit all sorts of crimes”.

Uweagha said; “the gang members are hibernating in bushes around where they plan to unleash fresh attacks on the community. We, therefore, call on security agents to act fast to neutralize their plans.

“They have held us, hostage, they terrorise us, unleash heinous crimes and get away with it. The leader of the gang was declared wanted but is appalling that he is walking very freely, and even boasting that nothing will happen to him.

“We are now living in fear, the environment is insecure, and they can strike anytime because he has fully armed the hoodlums. Government should intervene to save us from this terror gang”.

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