The people of Okoloba Community in Bomadi local government area of Delta State have raised an alarm over attack by armed youths from Okuama Community of Ughelli south local government area on fishermen from the community.
Chairman, Okoloba Community, Mr Clement Koki in a statement on Friday alleged, that the armed youths from Okuama, Thursday night, shot at fishermen from his community, injuring three persons while two other persons were missing.
Koki lamented that the fishermen from Okoloba were fishing on the river across the community when they were shot at by armed youths from Okuama.
He also stated that three fishermen sustained bullet wounds but escaped to the community later in the night from where they were being treated in the due to the security situation on the waterways.
“Last night, around the hour of eight, our people, about 15, were fishing on the river at the Mein-toruabubor Creek across our community when some youths of Okuama community came suddenly on a tricycle from the Ewu axis and started shooting at them.
“Everybody scampered for safety and three persons who sustained various degrees of bullet wounds were able to escape back to the community while many others were missing. From our count, they were about 15 persons fishing in the night.
“But later in the night, some others also found their way back to the community. As I’m talking to you, two persons are still missing.
“We could not take the victims to the hospital for proper care because the river is not safe, we’re treating them at home because the armed youths crossed straight to Okuama after the unprovoked attack.
“We have reported the current incident to the appropriate security agencies for necessary action, and we are compelled to send out this briefing over the current development, which we have always been doing since the beginning of this situation,” Koki said.
He appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori “to please intervene to save our people from these unprovoked attacks by the arms-wielding youths of Okuama community.”
“We are peace-loving and we plead with His Excellency to help us maintain the peace in the creek,” the statement pleaded.
LEADERSHIP recalls that 17 military personnel were killed by irate youths during a communal clash between the Bomadi and Okuoma communities over a land dispute in March, 2024.
The slain personnel, attached to the 181 Amphibious Battalion were responding to a distress call when they were ambushed and murdered by yet-to-be-identified assailants.