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BOMADI—Tension is currently building up in the creeks of River Forcados in Bomadi and Ughelli South local government areas of Delta State over the killing of a young man, Mr Pigha Zipamone of Okoloba community, who was reportedly ambushed, killed and drowned by armed Okuama youths over the lingering land dispute between the two communities.

The decomposing corpse, which was brought to Bomadi, the council headquarters, weekend, generated tension with hate speeches among youths.

The chairman of Okoloba federated community, Mr Clement Koki, addressing newsmen shortly after handing over the corpse of the victim to men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, Bomadi Division, said the late Zipamone went to work at his mother’s farm when the fateful incident occurred.

Koki said: “On 5th March, 2024, Mr. Pigha Zipamone went to work in his mother’s farm and was kidnapped by Okuama blood-letting savages and hired mercenaries who have been laying ambush day and night to attack us. He was taken to Okuama community, beaten mercilessly with hands tied behind his back on daily basis in the village square and eventually killed him on 8th March, 2024.

“His lifeless body was thrown into River Forcados in the early hours of March 9, 2024. This was in keeping with their earlier promise, that they were going to attack Okoloba and carry mass murder, having stockpiled arms and ammunition of different calibre, as well as imported mercenaries from different villages in Ewu kingdom.

“Recall that the people of Okuama hired mercenaries and attacked us on January 27, 2024 in a speedboat with different types of arms and ammunition and were promptly repelled by our youth. On realizing that they were being over-powered, they escaped to the overside forest across Okoloba, abandoning their speedboat with a cache of arms and ammunition, which were handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Bomadi Police Station.

“As a result of the build up of tension and hostilities, the state government invited both communities to Asaba for a peace parley and we signed the Peace Accord and were charged to go back home and maintain peace in our respective domains.

“But suffice it to say, that no sooner than both parties left the venue of the Peace Parley, that Okuama community started harassing, intimidating and attacking our men, women and youths who were doing their fishing and farming businesses peacefully.

“They had promised to carry out mass murder on Okoloba people and drive us out of their land, saying that where Okoloba is located presently is their land and was given to them by Akugbene community.