Police probe fresh Rivers communal clash

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The Rivers State Police Command has launched an investigation into Thursday night’s renewed communal clash between residents of Eleme and Okrika local government areas of the state.

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The latest violence, reportedly linked to a longstanding land dispute between the two host communities of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, resulted in the burning of a vehicle and heightened tension in the affected areas.

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Residents said several properties, including vehicles, were destroyed during the clash.

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A community source also disclosed that two persons were missing following the incident, adding that a search team had been mobilised while the matter had been reported to the police.

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A viral video circulating on Friday showed a Hilux vehicle engulfed in flames as sporadic gunfire echoed in the background, forcing residents to flee for safety.

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Amid the renewed hostilities, the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Obarilomate Ollor, announced the immediate suspension of all real estate activities within the council area, accusing land grabbers of fuelling the crisis.

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In a statement issued on Friday, Ollor alleged that land speculators, working with some estate developers and thugs, had continued to invade ancestral lands along the Woji–Aleto–Alesa Link Road and the Akpajo axis of the Port Harcourt Ring Road.

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He warned that the local government would prosecute anyone found violating the directive.

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“Our farmers are now compelled to pay illegal tolls before accessing their farmlands, while indigenous landowners are harassed, intimidated, and extorted whenever they attempt to inspect or protect their properties.

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“This unacceptable situation has resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and a growing threat to peace, security, and lawful economic activities within Eleme,” he said.

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The council chairman disclosed that he had signed an executive order suspending all real estate activities in Eleme pending a comprehensive review of land ownership and documentation.

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He added that all developers, estate firms, surveyors and individuals intending to undertake land transactions in the area must first obtain clearance from the local government before commencing operations.

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Ollor also directed all persons allegedly involved in illegal land grabbing to vacate the affected areas or face prosecution.

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He insisted that the disputed land remained the ancestral property of the Eleme people and cited the 1957 Supreme Court judgment and the White Paper of the Justice Charles Granville Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Eleme–Ogu/Okrika communal conflict as legal backing for the council’s position.

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The chairman further cautioned prospective investors against purchasing land from what he described as criminal syndicates using forged documents.

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He said the council had also petitioned the Rivers State House of Assembly through the member representing Eleme Constituency, Hon. Igwe Obe Aforji, requesting a legislative investigation into the alleged land grabbing and related violence.

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Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, said the dispute between both communities had been before the court for years.

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Agabe said, “What led to the shooting is a land dispute that has been ongoing for years, and both communities are currently in court over it. There was no casualty; only a Hilux vehicle was burnt.

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“The Commissioner of Police has intervened in the matter, and investigation is ongoing.”

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