3 Killed, Houses Destroyed in Agwa, Oguta Community Over Oil Dividend
Umuofeke autonomous community in Agwa, Oguta LGA is currently a ghost town as the citizens have deserted the area for safety following crisis between two rival cult groups.
A credible source who spoke to Trumpeta on condition of anonymity said trouble started when the Community’s representative with an oil Company, since four years oil was discovered in the area, refused to be changed.
The Representative (names withheld) was accused of misappropriating the job slots for the villagers as well as the oil dividends accruable to the oil landlords.
As a way of retaining his position, the Community’s representative was accused to have recruited a cult group for protection and bequeathed the job slots worth #63,000 each to the group members even though he was alleged to always shortchange them.
Irked by this development, the Umuofeke community instituted a committee and charged it with the responsibility of organizing an election.
The Committee quickly went into action first by asking the oil company to be liaising with it in all affairs concerning the community but this did not go down well with former representative who quickly sent his cult group to attack the committee members and destroying their houses.
In the course of this development, another cult group in sympathy with the committee emerged and the entire scenario became an inter-cult clash which meanwhile has led to the death of about three persons.
When Trumpeta visited the area, it was deserted except for few young men who were identified as members of Danjagwa and Degbam cult groups (the rival cult groups).
Everything including church activities has been grounded. People have fled the community including the Priest incharge of Christ Anglican Church, Ukpofeke, Rev Canon Kalu Mba and family.
