The dispute between two communities in Warri South local government area of Delta State, Omadino community and Ogheye -Akpata, over a fishing camp, has taken another dimension.
The two communities are both Itsekiris, while Ogheye -Akpata has Ijaws, Ilajes, some Itsekiris and other people who do fishing business there.
An online medium had posted a video of the wreckage of the camp on social media, while another video shows one of the raids by operatives of Tantita Security Services on the island.
The video footage has sparked netizens’ concerns that Itsekiri youths carried out the arson.
But the chairman of Omadino Community, Tuoyo Mogbeyiteren, refuted allegations of arson by Itsekiri youths.
Mogbeyiteren in an interview dismissed the notion of internal sabotage, stating: “How can one Itsekiri community burn down another Itsekiri community?
“It was reported to me this morning that gunmen in the usual Tantita Security raid stormed the camp and ransacked it. We thought it was the usual Tantita raid,” he said.
He further explained that the location shown in the video is a fishing camp occupied by tenants from the Gbonwei lineage of the Ijaw ethnic group.
Mogbeyiteren confirmed that Tantita Security Services Limited had raided the camp for bunkering activities several times.
On the real incident that led to the burning down of the camp, he said, “Some Ijaws from Gbaramatu are unhappy that their people are paying rent to the Omadino community because of my visit to the camp two months ago where the Ijaws there clarified that they are not fighting against the Itsekiri people.
“So it is as a result of our visit and the people’s clarification and admission that the camp belongs to the Omadino community that led to the attack.
“Although I can’t confirm to you that it was Tantita people that burnt it down but it wasn’t Omadino youths who did it,” he added.
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