WARRI-Ugborodo indigenes have been called upon to support the executive of Ugborodo Trust under the chairmanship of Mr. David Tonwe.

Pa J. O. S. Ayomike made the call, yesterday, when the Tonwe-led executive members paid him a sympathy visit as his house was reportedly invaded by unknown gunmen last Saturday.

The attack led to a police officer being injured.

The octogenarian and former Commissioner in the defunct Bendel State described the attack as “a strange dimension in the history of leadership tussle in Ugborodo since 1969 when the Trust came into being through the efforts of some of us.

“Now, we have witnessed this strange episode whereby gunmen invade my house for whatever reason.

“Contesting leadership position in Ugborodo Trust is not new to us, and this is natural. What is new was my experience of Saturday. Gunmen came to my house. Whether by coinci-dence or not, this is the first election and appointment into Ugborodo Trust that has generated much extra-neous interests to the extent that uninvited top officials of the Delta State govern-ment got themselves involved even when not legitimately invited. ”

Pa Ayomike thanked the security officers who were able to repel the invaders.

He called on the leadership of the Trust not to disappoint Ugborodo elders, leaders and indi-genes who have reposed much confidence in them as informed by custom, tradition and constitution. He said: “They should see their mandate as sacred which only God has the power to upturn.”

He called on the members of the new executive “to ensure the academic, professional and infrastructural develop-ments of Ugborodo so that those of us, who put the Trust in place and are still alive, can with joy and peace of mind smile to our respective graves when God will call us.”

Tonwe said the elders, leaders and indigenes of Ugborodo remain a collective veritable source of inspiration to him and his team, and they should be assured that an Ugborodo of their dream will emerge before the expiration of his tenure.