By Emmanuel Abi Couson
Itsekiri Youths did not attack any Ijaw man or community in the recent Odion Road in Warri crisis, contrary to the claim by the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI that they attacked an Ijaw indigene, Mr Abeki ,a tricycle rider as well as carry out gun assault on Olabrakeopre Ijaw Warri urban community .
Reacting to the allegation, an Itsekiri Youth who spoke with Newsspecing online on condition of anonymity because he was not mandated to speak on it said ” nobody targeted anyone in the battle as it must have been stray bullet”
He said even the Chairman of Warri South Local Government has visited the Ijaw man in the hospital .
According to him it was a free for all fight amongst the Itsekiri’s and Urhobo’s in Odion road who are tenants in Itsekiri land and want to claim that they are “Odion Urhobo” as there is nothing like that in Odion Road.
Continue , he narrates that perhaps it was the stray bullet that hit the man because nobody was being targeted by anyone.
He said it is the Urhobo who are residents in Odion road who are peddling the report that the Itsekiri’s youths attacked Ijaw Warri urban community, shooting sporadically destroying properties with the intention to draw sympathy from the Ijaws.
It is commendable that IPDI follow the right path by voicing out what they were told which is a blatant lie and a propaganda to breach the peace in Warri Kingdom.
Narrating the genesis, he said nothing like Odion Urhobo” but Let me be crystal clear: these are simply Urhobo residents living in the Odion community, situated within the Warri Kingdom—there is no such entity as an “Odion Urhobo community” in our territory.
He said they were the first to attack and butcher an Itsekiri man on his own ancestral soil after that they went ahead to invade Iyara, attempting to erect a signboard claiming ownership of those lands.
When they were rightfully driven off, they returned with vengeance and brutally slaughtered one of Itsekiri Youth.
