Soldiers from the military Joint Task Force, JTF, yesterday, invaded Ifiekporo community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, backed by two armoured tanks and overran the community, even as the community has called for the withdrawal of the soildiers.
The soldiers were allegedly brought into the community by a man (names withheld), who the community claimed they did not recognise as their Executive Chairman.
Hundreds of youths, including women carried placards protesting the presence of the soldiers since Monday, noting that they had been subjected to harassment and intimidation since their arrival.
Journalists, who rushed to the community to have an on the spot assessment of the situation were not left out, as the soldiers subjected them to frog jumping.
Vanguard learnt that the crisis in Ifiekporo was as a result of an alleged imposition of a community executive and Onare-Aja (community head) on them by the Chief Denson Ogedegbe-led Olu’s Panel, which they accused of coniving with another individual to wreak havoc on the community.
It was learnt that the community passed a vote of no confidence on the former executive on grounds of alleged fraud, sales of community land and other sundry issues.
They said a new executive led by Pastor David Okoturoh was put in place, leading to a dispute, which the Olu’s Panel, after interrogation, which was alleged to be grossly bias, returned the ousted other executive to power against the wishes of the community, adding that, Chief Ogedegbe should leave the community alone as they were an autonomous community.
Pastor Okoturoh in a statement, yesterday, accused the chief of being behind the crisis rocking the community.
He explained that “the people passed a vote of no confidence on the former executive on grounds of gross offences of fraud, indiscriminate sale of Ifiekporo community land, including areas of the Ijala Royal cemetery, constant arrest of youths, imposition of a chairman on Ifiekporo youths and many other offences.
He said since then, the said former Chairman of the community had been intimidating the community with police and militants and recently with soldiers, who invaded the community since Monday.
“We are set to take our destiny in our hands. We will no longer accept the intimidation and imposition of executive on our community by the Palace panel set up to look into the crisis in our community. The Panel is taking sides and we have lost confidence in getting justice from them,” he added.