By Emma Amaize

WARRI—URHOBO and Ijaw leaders in conjunction with the Delta State Government have waded into the raging dispute between Aladja, an Urhobo community in Udu Local Government Area and Isaba, an Ijaw rural community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, both in the state, which has led to loss of lives.

Tempers flared, last week, when the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, youth wing, issued a 14-day ultimatum on Ijaw indigenes residing in Udu to vacate the area following alleged kidnap and killing of some Urhobo indigenes by Ijaw youths.

Vanguard gathered that Ijaw and Urhobo youth leaders, including Messrs Eric Omare and Rex Anighoro, both officials of the state government, president of Urhobo Progressive Union, UPU, youth wing, Ovie Igho and chairman of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Western zone, attended the peace meeting.

A source told Vanguard: “The meeting was called at the instance of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s aides from the warring areas, among them Eric Omare and Rex Anighoro, but Urhobo people were said to be holding another meeting in one of their communities, so they merely sent a delegation to reiterate their position. They maintained that four Urhobo persons were missing in the fracas and until they were produced, they were not interested in attending any meeting and in any event, they still stand by the 14-day ultimatum given Ijaw people to leave their territory.”

Mr. Anighoro, who spoke to Vanguard after the meeting, said: “The meeting ended well, there is no way the issues at stake can be resolved in one day, but the important thing is that leaders from both sides are meeting at a larger forum to end the disturbance.”

On his part, Mr. Omare said the conveners would meet one- on- one with some selected leaders to facilitate the peace process after which another meeting would be convened in the interest of peace.

Meanwhile, the   Oroupawei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, Chief Willington Bobo, has called on Governor Okowa and security agencies to intervene in the looming tension between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communities and Aladja versus Isaba before it gets out of hand.

Chief Bobo, who spoke in Warri, said that scores of persons had been displaced already from their homes because of the land disputes,  assuming  frightening dimensions by the day.

“Security agents, traditional rulers and political leaders should also rise up to their responsibility, we are all brothers and one Niger Delta, it is not fair for us to be fighting ourselves. I equally condemn the statement of Chief Joe Omene, the president general of UPU in a local newspaper where he said attack on Aladja is attack against Urhobo nation. I admonish leaders of both tribes to avoid derogatory public statements that are capable of fanning ethnic unrest.    Let us embrace peace and learn to resolve issues through dialogue.”