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From Ben Dunno, Warri
A bloody clash between rival youth groups over the control of assets and revenues in Igbide community, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, has claimed one life and three more others, including the current youth vice chairman, who was critically injured during an attack by unknown assailants.
Investigations however revealed that the situation would have worsened but for the timely intervention of soldiers attached to 181 Amphibious Battalion, under 63 Brigade Command In Charge of Defence Company at Oleh in conjunction with other security agencies who moved in swiftly in curbing the escalation of the crisis.
It was learnt that the community youths’ leadership had been polarised by youths who were loyal to the factional Executives that had engaged in supremacy tussle over who controls both the assets and collects revenue accrued from developmental projects or business dealings in the area.
A community source disclosed that the trouble that led to the shootings which claimed a life and rendered many injured started at the weekend when a decision was reached that one of the factional leaders who was involved in dredging should make his tax payment and other levies through the leadership of the opposing exco.
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Irked by this decision to impose the other exco on them, the camp of the opposing exco vowed to unleash hell in the community should the majority of the indigenes fail to recognise them as the authentic exco in the area.
According to him, “this was the situation till around 9 am today when the Vice Chairman of the fractional leadership who was riding with someone else in a car was sighted by the members of the other group and wasted no time opening fire at them.
“While the driver of the car who was hit by the bullet was reported to have died on the spot, the Vice Chairman was however lucky to be alive, thanked the men and officers of 181 Amphibious Battalions under the 63 Brigade, Asaba, who acted swiftly in saving his life and others from the gunshots injuries sustained with their first aides before taking them to the hospital.”
“It was at this point that soldiers mobilised themselves in conjunction with other security agents operating in the area to carry out a show of force around the town to register their presence and send warning signals to the trouble makers,” the sources stated.
He further hinted that due to the show of force, normalcy had since returned to the troubled community.
