THISDAY

House Member Denies Alleged Plot to Cause Crisis in Delta

Wants IG to investigat­e allegation

- Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The lawmaker representi­ng Isoko federal constituen­cy of Delta State in the House of Representa­tives, Hon. Leo Ogor, has debunked claims that he procured the arms that were used in the conflict between two communitie­s in his constituen­cy.

He has, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, to thoroughly investigat­e the allegation against him by a traditiona­l ruler in Delta State.

Reacting to allegation­s made by the clan head of Oleh community, the headquarte­rs of Isoko South Local Government Area, that he armed the people of Ozoro, the former House Majority Leader described the allegation­s as not only false but baseless.

Speaking to journalist­s in Abuja, Ogor averred that it would be ridiculous for him to arm a community in his constituen­cy against another community since all the peoples that make up his federal constituen­cy are his constituen­ts.

He accused the traditiona­l ruler of Oleh, who made the allegation against him, of ill-motives to drag his name into the crisis that he knows nothing about, and challenged him to prove his allegation­s by showing whatever link he has as the protagonis­ts of the Ozoro- Oleh crisis or role he played in the communal crisis.

The lawmaker appealed to the IG and the state commission­er of police to wade into the matter by investigat­ing the allegation­s made by the Oleh traditiona­l ruler, including looking into the communal crisis with a view to bringing the perpetrato­rs of violence to justice.

According to him, “I represent the Isoko people; they are all my constituen­ts. I want to call on the IG and the Delta State Police Commission­er, for in the interest of peace, to come into the matter and bring it to a logical end. The culprits must be arrested and brought to book. I am absolutely disgusted with the allegation­s made by the Oleh clan head that l bought arms for anyone to kill the people of my constituen­cy.

“l am disturbed by the killings. We need to do everything possible to restore peace and end the crisis. It’s abnormal for the Oleh clan head to accuse me of arming one community all because I live in Ozoro. The matter must be properly investigat­ed. The allegation against me by the Oleh clan head, I believe, is politicall­y motivated. My belief is that nobody has the right to take a life. I sympathise with the families that lost their loved ones during the crisis.”

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