Five 'Missing' Ijaw Youths Reunite With Families
SAN FRANCISCO, September 14, (THEWILL) - The five Ijaw youths that were allegedly 'missing' after a confrontation between some Ijaw and Itsekiri youths have reunited with their families in Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, THEWILL has learnt.
Sources said that the youths had resurfaced in the community few days after Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders met to broker peace over the vexed issue which reportedly led to the misunderstanding between the two ethnic groups.
Details of how the youths managed to resurface were not clear when filing this report but a community source said that the five 'missing' youths have been found and were already in the community with their families.
The Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri Clan Governing Council had given Itsekiri youths ultimatum to produce the Ijaw youths which they alleged were purportedly 'abducted' by some Itsekiri youths as well as valuables running into millions of naira lost during the alleged 'ambush.' But both the police and Itsekiri National Youth Council had since denied and dismissed the allegation, saying it was merely a ploy to escalate the dispute.
THEWILL however learnt that the tensed atmosphere which was created over the development in Warri was brought under control after the intervention of some stakeholders.
Moreso, after a peace parley meeting between the two ethnic nationalities at the Police Area Command Warri, where leaders from Ijaw and Itsekiri agreed to maintain the existing peace in the area.
However, in a statement obtained by THEWILL on Saturday and signed by Mr. Lucky Oromoni for the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan Governing Council and Chief Patrick Yalaju for Ugbo-Mefa 12-Man Committee (Itsekiri), the two ethnic group advised residents of the area not to panic as the issue has been amicably resolved.
The statement reads in part: “The leadership of both ethnic groups wishes to inform the general public, especially residents of Warri and its environs to go about their normal duties as the situation has been brought under control and resolved.”