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Two Killed, 40 Houses Razed Over Chieftaincy Feud

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
January 28, 2006
Posted to the web January 30, 2006

By Okon Bassey
Yenogoa
At least, two persons have reportedly lost their lives, while 40 buildings were
set ablaze at Igbomotoru community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of
Bayelsa State, following a lingering chieftaincy crisis in the area.
THISDAY gathered that one of the traditional rulers in the dispute and some
youths arrested by the Police in connection with the conflict in the village
were released following intervention by some influential politicians from the
area.
But on a renewed crack down on the community, eleven chiefs were again arrested
by the police and taken to the state police headquarters at Yenogoa for
interrogations.
Luck was set to have run out of the monarchs, during a meeting with officials
of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), where it was gathered that the oil
company had assembled the chiefs in order to arrange on how to rebuild the
houses razed for the owners.
Sources said the chiefs were accused of sponsoring some youths to raze down
buildings of a faction of the people in the chieftaincy tussle.
Meanwhile, a cross section of the community have expressed fears over the
continued detection of the chiefs as it was argued that their continued
detention may cause another round of mayhem in the community.
Chief Easterday Ayibatari, who claimed to be a spokesman of the community, said
the situation has really affected social and economic life of the community,
saying schools in the locality have since been shut down.
Security sources said detention of the chiefs was to ensure proper
investigations or probe into the conflict.

   

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