4 die, blood flows as Delta community celebrates festival

> Four persons reportedly die in a bloody clash in Delta state

> The death occurred at Ibusa, country home of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi

> The death was recorded during the annual festival of the community

Not less than four persons have been reportedly murdered in a community festival which was hijacked by youths allegedly on a reprisal move against opposing camps in Ibusa, the country home of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, representing Delta North in the National Assembly.

Investigations by Newsmen revealed that the festival that metamorphosed into blood and death was an annual event of Ogboewelle quarter in Ibusa, a neighbouring community to Asaba, the Delta tate capital.

Youths on attack mission (file phopto)

It was learnt that pandemonium broke loose as youths overran the elders, took over the ceremony and the cult groups capitalized on the opportunity and unleashed mayhem on their rivals, a development which led to the death of four persons and some others injured.

A resident who spoke to us on phone, Mr. Mike Abe, said it was the annual Ewu festival of the community which lasted for days and where many things are carried out, some of which he could not explain being not an indigene of the area but only a resident.

According to him, “They are doing their Ewu festival. I don’t know how many days it lasts because I am not so interested. This one that happened where they killed people is the one of Ogboewelle. Umuodafe will start their own on the 22 of December. I can’t tell when this one started but it has ended. About four persons were killed.

“The festival is like a carnival, there are other thing involved but there is a part that is like carnival. Everybody comes to watch them in their regalia. They play traditional music where people come to watch, the streets are always filled with people. In that event, people that have been offended will remember and want to use the opportunity to revenge.

“If you are not having charm, you don’t go there, you go there, you die. Many of them are usually charmed so that when you shot them, it does not go in. it will hit them and fall off. Umuodafe will start their own on Friday. During the festival, you don’t put on generator. As far as the festival is on, you don’t put on generator.

Injured persons from clash of interest (file photo)

“It is done during the day and continues till night but there must not sound of a generator. These people are so terrible, the devil is just sitting down in their heart. They are not civilized at all. They love all these useless things and the boys hijack the opportunity to commit crime.

“In those days, the festival was done by old men. But now, it is young boys, youths, secondary school children have taken it over from the elders and they have converted it to do evil”

An eye witness, Ruth Obi, who ran into the celebration without knowing, told our reporter that the festival was actually bloody, adding that besides the death recorded, some were seen running hysterically with blood stains all over their body.

The lady, who said she was going to the community from Asaba to visit an elderly woman who massages her body on weekly basis due to her pregnancy, said her bus from Asaba ran into the group and had to escape being smashed by the rampaging youths.

She said immediately the bus from Asaba entered the community, everybody on the highway was seen running to no particular direction, ostensibly for fear of the youths who had hijacked the celebration and converted it to a fight where dangerous weapons were freely used.

She added that the road leading to the community which also leads to Ogwashi Uku in Aniocha South local government area became deserted as everyone, including bus drivers, ran hastily out of the road for fear of being hit by the youths.