Tension has mounted in the creeks of River Forcados in Bomadi and Ughelli South local government areas of Delta State over the death of a young man, Mr Pigha Zipamone, from the lingering land dispute between the two communities.
The victim from Okoloba community was reportedly ambushed, killed and drowned by armed Okuama youths.
The chairman of Okoloba Federated Community, Mr Clement Koki, told newsmen after handing over the corpse of the victim to men of the Joint Task Force, (JTF), Bomadi Division, said the late Zipamone went to work at his mother’s farm when the incident occurred.
“On 5th March, 2024, Mr. Pigha Zipamone went to work in his mother’s farm and was kidnapped by Okuama people who have been laying ambush day and night to attack us. He was taken to Okuama community, beaten mercilessly with hands tied behind his back on daily basis in the village square and eventually killed him on 8th March, 2024.
“His lifeless body was thrown into River Forcados in the early hours of March 9, 2024. This was in keeping with their earlier promise, that they were going to attack Okoloba.
“But let it be known that Okoloba Federated Community is a freeborn community and unarguably the first fruit of Mein our progenitor, therefore, can never ever be slaves to settlers or any community for that matter.
“We will not hesitate to enforce our God-given right to self-defence, which is expressly entrenched in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
“We’ve been the crying child all the time, drawing public attention to the criminal and diabolic activities of Okuama settlers and have been on the receiving end all these years.
“But, be it known that there is a limit to every human endurance, we have been pushed to the wall,” Koki stated.
When contacted, the Delta State police spokesperson DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident.
