by S’ola Filani

Four persons died while seven others sustained injuries in a renewed clash between the people of Aguleri, Anambra East local government area and people of Echeno/Odeke in Ibaji local government area of Kogi State on Monday.

The people of Aguleri and the neighbouring Echeno/Odeke in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State had been laying claim to the oil deposits on the Omambala River Basin, which had resulted in several clashes with casualties.
Though the two communities had been involved in skirmishes for decades, the clashes became more pronounced with the commissioning of Orient Petroleum Refinery in Aguleri Otu in Anambra State by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012.
Monday’s attack at about 3 p.m. took the Aguleri people unawares, hence the casualty figures on their side.
While casualty figures on the Kogi side is yet to be ascertain, reports say the attack involved the use of sophisticated weapons and in the presence of security operatives guarding the buffer zone created in the area by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to forestall clashes between the warring communities.
Confirming the incident, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka (DSP), told journalists that the matter was being investigated at the highest level of security, adding that it would be premature for him to speak on the clash.