The troubled town of Uzere in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State came under fire as Unknown gunmen on Friday invaded the community killing two persons.
Uzere has been deserted as mob torches houses perceived to be that of supporters of the estranged and deposed monarch.
The invasion had added a new twist to the supremacy tussle rocking the community after two monarchs laid claim to the (Ovie) throne.
It would be recalled that the Uzere crisis started from a peaceful protest by the residents through which later snowballed into a major conflagration last year.
The protest was against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over its failure to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the host community after about 53 years of oil exploration in their land.
Houses including the palace of the estranged monarch, Isaac Udogri who was accused of siding SPDC were torched, after two youths were allegedly shot dead by mobile policemen drafted to the town on behest of oil giant, Shell.
Yesterday, the invaders allegedly hired by a former education Secretary, one of the key actors in the crisis, shot sporadically all through the day.
By the time the guns stop booming, one youth had fallen dead and in a reprisal attack, irate community youths heck one of the mercenaries to death.
It was reliably gathered that a former council chairman and some other key actors in the Uzere crisis funded the mercenaries who retired to the home of the secretary after the deed have been done for a drink and lunch.
Sources said that while the gunmen were in the home of their alleged sponsor, chanting war songs, irate youth stormed the place in a bid to confront them but on sighting the surge youths, the gunmen opened fire, killing one Omojoli ldolor, one of the security guard to the newly installed king, HRM Henry Etuwede 111.
Irked by the development, the youths, it was learnt mobilized for a reprisal attack where one of the gunmen was gunned down and other escaped with vary degree of wounds.
Previously, on Wednesday a faction in the community allegedly attacked a rival faction leaving several persons with various degree of wounds. Some person were arrested after that incident.
Meanwhile, anti-riot policemen and soldiers were said to have arrived the troubled oil producing community.
“We are very surprised that up to this moment that we thought peace has come, we are still experiencing killings,” he said.
He noted that “recently the Gbong Gwom Jos, Gyang Buba, together with the Emir of Wase, Mohammed Haruna were on a peace tour in four local government area of the state to strengthen peace, but in spite that, the killings have continued.”
District head of Vwang district, Da Choji Balack, who also condemned the attack and called for the immediate withdrawal of men of the Special Task Force (STF) in the state, also stressed that the Fulani herdsmen alone could not have carried out such attacks without the help of the men of the STF.
Balack expressed optimism that if the Federal Government would withdraw the military, peace will return to the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), John Onuigbo confirmed the incident, but said he was yet to get details.
Source: THEWILL