Villagers flee as gunmen invade Delta community, destroy houses

GUNMEN, weekend, stormed
Uwheru community in Ughelli North Local
Government Area, Delta State, vandalising
about 12 houses and a car belonging to
supporters of a former aide to the governor and Presidential-General of the community, Mr.
Clement Osieta. The gunmen, suspected to be political thugs,
were said to have earlier beaten Mr. George
Imiti, an elder brother of a councillor in the
area, Festus, to death. Yesterday morning, Over 500 indigenes of the
community, the Vanguard gathered, had fled
into the bush for fear of being attacked by the
armed thugs, who reportedly invaded the town
at 1a.m. A source said: “The current mayhem in Uwheru
was because the ring-leader of the gunmen
was arrested by the police. So the top official
wants to stop his prosecution. “At Egbo quarters, two houses belonging to
one Boge Ogbe were vandalised alongside a
beer parlour in front of his house. “Margaret Ogbe’s store was vandalised and the
armed youths went away with the N800,000
given to her to keep by her club. “At Odja, four houses were destroyed. A
People’s Democratic Party, PDP, chairman in
Uwheru was not spared as his house and
Toyota Corolla car were destroyed. “Also vandalised is Mr Wilson Umukoro’s
house; Umokoro is an In-law to Clement
Osieta.”