Paramount Ruler of Ekporo community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRH Samuel Obe, and his subjects, who fled their homeland three years ago after the people of Ogu, a neighboring community in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of the state, allegedly invaded, setting their homes and other property ablaze, have been living in exile since 2013.
HRH Obe in an exclusive chat with journalists said indigenes of his community were now scattered in several areas of the state because of the fear of Ogu people killing them if they return home.
The monarch whose palace was razed during the invasion, asserted, “Life has not been easy at all as our houses have been destroyed, my family and I now seek refuge in neighboring community. We have written severe petitions for a full scale and thorough investigation into the matter. “Many of my subjects are still lying in the mortuary because we cannot take them home for burial. In my case, I bought a land in Ebubu and buried my younger brother who died in the crisis.”
He further: “This dispute started when we returned back from the civil war, Ogu people have often attacked us, the latest attack was in April 2013, they invaded our community chased us out, destroyed valuables and treasures.” The monarch recalled that a former Commissioner of Police who is now an AIG, Tunde Ogunsakin, stepped into the matter when he was here, invited all parties in the crisis to a peace meeting, but they ignored resolutions reached at the meeting attacked the community.
He also said: “I am appealing to the government and security agencies to look into our case and return us to our ancestral land because we are tired of being refugees in our own country.” Vice Chairman , Eleme United Peace Association, Comrade Prince Lekwas, who is from Ekporo, also enjoined government to step in urgently to resolve the crisis so that the villagers can return home without fear.###
