Insecurity: Delta community seeks govt’s help, as 3 feared killed

From Osakhare Erese Asaba

No fewer than three persons have been reportedly feared killed in Ovre-Eku community, Ehtiope East Local Government Area of Delta State in the early hours of Thursday.
Sources said there has been spate of alleged insecurity in the community in the recent times with its residents sleeping with their two eyes opened.
But the President-General in the community, Chief Joseph Ukueku who confirmed this to journalists yesterday, has raised the fear of the unknown following the alleged harassment and intimidation in the community by the people in the neigbouring community, including security agents.
He noted that the security unrest which had informed his serious concern had also become necessary in view of the development, and called on the Delta state government to prevail on the security agents to avoid the breakdown of law and order.
He said: “the duty of the security agents is to ensure the security of lives and property of the people in the area”, adding that some security agents in the recent times aid and abate crime as well as allow evils doers grow and increase.
Chief Ukueku while expressing concern that the people of Ovre-Eku at present live in fear of incessant harassment, alleged that the community had been “taken over” by strangers who double as “killers” and called on security agents to ensure the safety of lives and property in the area.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the three persons allegedly feared killed, were whisked away by yet unidentified gunmen few days ago, and since then their whereabouts has been unknown.
He warned that those claiming to be indigenes of Ovre-Eku community but indirectly working against its progress, shall soon be brought to book.
Police in the area, who however did not want their names in the print, have assured of security of lives, and property of the people, but warned it will no longer be business as usual for the criminals operating in the area.
Meanwhile, Ossissa community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the State has taken steps towards checking the prevalence of secret cults in the area.
To this end, the traditional council of the town who confirmed the steps through the leader of the youths’ caretaker committee, Mr. Azuka Eboka, disclosed that the youths fingered in the alleged killing in Ossissa had been banished.
Eboka, however, regretted the ugly incidents, pointing out that cultism had been the most unbearable challenge in the community in the recent times.
He called on Ossissa youths to shun cultism and its vices, promising to collaborate with security agents including law enforcement agents in the war against cultism, and condoled with the relations of those allegedly killed in the cult war.