Heavy Gunshots Rock Rivers As Okrika, Eleme Communities Clash

There are fresh hostilities between communities Okrika and Eleme local government area of Rivers State, resulting in heavy gunshots along the boundaries of the two LGAs.

LEADERSHIP observed that the hostilities is connected to a lingering land dispute between communities in the two LGAs.

The last clash between communities in the two LGAs was in 1993, which resulted in the death of several people from both sides.

The state command of the Nigeria Police is yet to issue a statement on the incident, to confirm if there were casualties.

Amidst the crisis, Chairman of Eleme LGA, Obarilomate Ollor, has suspended all real estate activities in the area, citing the activities of alleged land grabbers along the Woji-Aleto-Alesa link road and the Agbonchia-Akpajo section of the Port Harcourt Ring Road.

Ollor warned that violators would face legal action, insisting the disputed land was gazetted following a 1957 Supreme Court judgment and had not been allocated to any private individual or group by the local authority.

He stated that the council has petitioned relevant authorities through the member representing Eleme Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Aforji Igwe, for investigation.