Report reaching BigPen Online, says youths from Aladja community allegedly attacked the convoy of the wife of Delta state Governor, Dame Edith Okowa.
The youths had reportedly barricaded the road leading to Aladja from where they swooped on the advance team of the governor’s wife, injuring some medical personal and vandalising vehicles in the convoy.
BigPen Online couldn’t independently verified this incident which happened on Sunday evening but Ijaw Youth Council, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan, in a confirmation statement on Monday condemned the attack in its entirety.
The advance team comprises of medical personnel and other support staff of Delta State first lady, Dame Edith Okowa’s “O5” Initiative Healthcare programme were heading to Ogbe-Ijoh council in continuation of the programme in that part of the state when the incident occurred.
The governor’s wife and her team have been in the past few weeks going round the 25 council areas of the state, dispensing free drugs and healthcare to rural communities with no record of security breach.
So far, report says she had traversed 18 local government councils where the advanced team usually go one day ahead to prepare ground before her arrival the following day.
IYC’s Clan chairman, Comrade Smart Okosu, in a statement on Monday said, “It is unthinkable for members of any community within the state to attack the convoy of the wife of the Governor of the state”.
The group said that the attack on the convoy of the Governor’s wife is “an attack on the Governor of Delta State”.
IYC however, following the incident described Aladja Community as “lawless and dominated by criminal minded persons including the high level of leadership”.
“To demonstrate the complicity of the Aladja community leadership, the attack on the convoy of the first lady was led by the Councilor representing Aladja community in the Udu Local Government Legislative Arm who works directly under the Chairman of the Udu Council Area, Mr. Jite Brown, the statement said.
They alleged that the council chairman, Mr. Brown “is using government fund to sponsor the Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communal crisis and criminal elements in Aladja Community.
“The way and manner the Aladja Community is behaving is as if they are above the laws of this country. We state that no community or groups of people are above the laws of the country.
“The leaders of the Aladja community who masterminded the attack on the convoy of the wife of the Governor of Delta State, Dame Edit Okowa should be brought to justice.
“As a result of the attack; the 05 free medical initiative which was to take place at Ogbe-Ijoh for the people of Warri South West Local Government Area was cancelled.
“It would interest the general public to know that the first lady has earlier visited eighteen local government areas in Delta State without any challenge in any of the local government areas, the statement added.
Consequently, the IYC Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan call for the arrest and prosecution of the Aladja Community leaders including Mr. Jite Brown; Chairman of Udu Local Government Area, Chairman of Aladja Community; Elias Dogene, Chief T. C. Wiliki, Alhaji Dauda and other Aladja leaders who they claimed allegedly “sponsoring and encouraging the ongoing criminality in Aladja community.
“The Aladja community has become a criminal hideout with the active support of the leaders of the community and they must be brought to justice for the criminality to stop”, said the statement.
State Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka couldn’t be reach for comment on this report but top police source confirmed the incident.
Updates:
When contacted (not BigPen Online) for confirmation, the Chief of Protocol to the wife of the governor, Mr. Henry Onyeukwu, said there was no attack on anyone as no convoy had been sent yet.
According to him, the security background check had revealed that the area had security concerns, hence the reason for the calling off of the programme scheduled for Monday.
“We were not there, madam was not there, so nothing like attack or convoy. I am only aware that insecurity was sensed and that was it, so we didn’t go. We are security men and we do our own ground work. All those things being formulated that Her Excellency was attacked, I’m head of the convoy.
“We have heard of security intelligence of how the area is, not that Her Excellency was attacked and all that, it’s just forged story”, he said. Asked there was no attack on any advance medical team to Ogbe-ijoh on Sunday, he said no.
Story by Julius Eras-Olabowu
Editor’s note: This report has been reedited to reflect a version of Chief of Protocol to the wife of the governor that was wired to us. BigPen Online in it’s earlier report didn’t anyway says the governor’s wife was attacked. The report says advance vehicles in the governor’s wife fleets were attack and personnel injured.