By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South

URHOBO  youths  lifted the two-week ultimatum given to Ijaw indigenes residing in Udu, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, to vacate the area, last night, following the intervention of the state government.

Sunday Vanguard learned that the President General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Youth Wing, Udu chapter, Sunday Subi, who earlier gave the ultimatum, November 17, announced the suspension at a meeting of the warring parties brokered by the state government at Government House, Warri.

Sunday Vanguard reliably learned that the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Festus Agas, Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Director of the Department of State Service, DSS, army, navy and air force chiefs in the state, chairmen of Warri South-West and Udu local government areas, security aides to the governor, among others, visited Ayama and Epame communities on Friday, to assess the situation of things.

About 40 houses were destroyed and over 500 persons displaced in the attack on Udu by suspected Ijaw youths, thus sparking the ultimatum.

Former President General of UPU, Youth Wing, Udu Chapter and    current National Secretary of Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, Comrade Vincent Oyibode, confirmed the suspension of the ultimatum when Sunday Vanguard contacted him , yesterday, adding that government also directed that on no account should Ijaw youths attack or harass the people of Ayama and Epame anymore. Oyibode disclosed: “They (SSG and others)   came to see things for themselves, no house is standing in the communites, they burnt down everything and we are saying that government should help the people to resettle and on no account should Ijaw people of Isaba attack them again.”

Before the ultimatum was lifted, last night, tension had heightened in the area, as some Urhobo youths issued four conditions before it would be vacated,   just as former ex-militant leaders of Ijaw extraction swore to hit back if any of their kinsmen was attacked at the expiration of the ultimatum.  The two-week ultimatum was to expire   on Tuesday.