LAGOS APRIL 8TH (URHOBOTODAY)-While Christians in Nigeria and all over the world prepare for the Easter celebration, the Otor-Ihwreko Community of Ughelli Kingdom, in the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State was in the early hours of today engulfed in crisis.

 The crisis which led to the closure of the Ughelli Market and security men taking over the area, has purged most of the market women who were already prepared for the Easter business, while some persons were also injured.

 According to a community source who did not disclose his name for security reasons, there had been a leadership tussle in Otor-Ihwreko Community for some time now between the president general and the former one, and the issue was in court.

The source said that he left home early this morning because he was bereaved, and while there, he got a call that his younger cousin was stabbed and was rushed to the Ughelli Central Hospital.

He said that when he got to the hospital, he was told that  the President General of Otor-Ihwreko Community, Mr David Omotor was kidnapped by unknown gunmen while on his way from Oteri Community.

The source said the gun wielding hoodlums forced him into their waiting car and whisked him to an unknown destination.

He said that youth of the community, when they got wind of what happened, trooped to the police station to confirm if he was arrested by the police,where it was confirmed that the police were not behind the whisking away of their president general.

The source said that the youth, suspecting that the former president general and those loyal to him may be responsible for the kidnapped of their president gener began to attack anyone suspected to be loyal to the ousted president general, injuring as many people that they could lay their hands on.

The shooting and attack on residents forced the people to run for their dear lives until security men from the Ughelli A Division came to calm the situation.

As at the time of filing this report, normalcy was gradually returning to the area but the Ughelli Market remained closed down.

Responding to the incident, the Force Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe debunked the alleged kidnapping of the president general of the community.

Edafe explained that the president general was arrested by men of the force from Zone 5 and the community had been told to go there, adding that normalcy was already restored to the community.

Delta Bulletin