CHIEF PIUS OMUBAYE WITH SOME UDU MEMBERS AND OFFICIALS OF THE AREWA COMMUNITY OF OTOVWIEVWIERE

By Ogheneode Ugbogbo

LAGOS DECEMBER 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Following the Friday morning invasion of a mosque at Otovwievwiere Ughelli town, Ughelli LGA of Delta state, the apex socio cultural and leadership body of the Ughelli kingdom known as UGHELLI descendant Union (UDU) was mandated to pay a condolence visit to the Hausa people  even as the action has been condemned on its entirety

Chief Pius Omubaye led a high profile team of the kingdom on a special condolence visit to the Arewa Community on behalf of His Royal Majesty, Wilson Ojakovo THE Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom on the spot assessment of the mosque where the invasion took place.

Meeting the leadership of the Hausa community in the area, Chief Omubaye hinted that they were being sent by  His Royal Majesty, the king of Ughelli kingdom to formally reach  the Arewa people in Otovwievwiere to know what had actually transpired on the fateful Friday morning.

Responding, secretary of the Arewa community, Otovwievwiere, Ughelli North Area of Delta State, Danliti Ahmed Gama narrated thus, “just after the morning prayer around fifteen minutes after six, some men just came to the mosque with guns, and two of them entered inside and headed straight to take on the deputy Imam of the mosque, Mallam Sanni mohammed. In the process the worshippers sought to know what was happening and why one of them was being held, it was at that point that they started shooting thereby injuring about twelve persons,  while they took the deputy Imam away.

Meanwhile, as at the time of the UDU visit to the mosque, the Arewa community secretary in the area said no contact had been made to them on the whereabouts of Sanni Mohammed who was adopted.”

He gave the name of those who sustained various degrees of injury to include: Ibrahim Shuaibu, Zayyanu Abubakar, Bashaw Mohammed, Shehu Hassan, Alhaji Hassan, Mohammed Garba, while those above named  persons were still receiving treatment in the hospital two others namely  Hamza and Mai Muntari were already discharged from the hospital.

In reaction, the UDU President General, Chief Omubaye maintained  thus, “first of all, The Royal Majesty of Ughelli  people world wide, say we the people of the great Ughell kingdom condemn in totality any form of violent. We don’t do it , we are afraid of it; so anybody who goes to a place of worship to do anything violent, as a matter of fact has done a sacrilegious thing and we are not in support of that kind of action.”

The  UDU President General noted further that the Ughelli people are  hospitable and peace loving thus accommodate people of other climes irrespective of language, nationality or religion just as he assured them of their  continued mutual relationship with the Arewa community in the domain.

“ On behalf of His Hoyal Majesty, the king of Ughelli kingdom world wide, we want to assure you of our mutual relationship as your host, we assure you of our continued cordial and mutual relationship all the time. We do not support any act of violence in any guise or form.”

The UDU also paid a visit to the Central Hospital Ughelli to see those who were still receiving treatment; they moved to the Area Commander’s office to register their displeasure over the incident. Though as at Sunday afternoon when the king’s delegation got to the Area Commander’s office he was unavoidably absent being weekend but however the PG met some officers on duty to whom the message was delivered urging the police and the other law enforcement agencies to unravel the mystery behind the unprecedented incident.

Those in the entourage included: Chief Edward Omotubu, chairman of of forum of Ughelli presidents general; Chief Sam Kohwo, PG of Udjode community; Chief Benjamin Idoghor, PG of Odovie community; Chief ThankGod Adolf, Oduophori community PG and Mr Peter Ododkuma among others