By Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri
Palpable tension has enveloped the oil producing Odidi Federated Community in Delta State, as the community leader, Chief Johnny Aribogha, cries out alleging threat to his life.
Chief Aribogha, who claimed to be the authentic leader of the community, has despatched a petition to the acting Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, urging the IGP to call to order, a set of group led by Clement Numa, also from the community,, who was alleged to have been threatening to cause commotion that could open up the community to crisis.
Aribogha, in his petition which was copied the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Mohammed Ari and journalists in Warri, fingered Clement Numa as “leading a gang involved in making clandestine moves to throw the community to crisis”.
According to Chief Aribogha, he and his team were unanimously given extension of four years tenure, spanning from November 25th 2020 to November 24th 2024, to pilot the affairs of the community.
He said, “We are waiting for the court to resume as they are presently on strike. We are law abiding citizens and the said Clement Numa was never a Secretary of the community because I have been given another four years extension mandate approved by Chief Mamamu, the community leader”.
While maintaining that Odidi has been a peace loving community, Aribogha submitted that Clement Numa was only out to disorganize the area by calling on security operatives to clamp down on him as a means to truncate the purported tenure extension.
Earlier, Clement Numa had accused Aribogha of making “sinister moves” to outsmart a court of competent jurisdiction and also manipulate the ex-chairman of the community, Chief Mamamu who was said to be presently down with ill health.
The acting police public relations officer (PPRO) for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe could not be reached for confirmation as of the time of filing this report.