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Calm Returns to Troubled Warri
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Vanguard (Lagos)
February 10, 2003
Posted to the web February 11, 2003
Sola Adebayo
FRAGILE peace weekend returned to the war-ravaged oil city of Warri after three days of bloody riot by the Urhobo and Itsekiri youths of Okere area of the city. Our correspondent who went round the city, especially the troubled areas, discovered that sanity was gradually returning amidst tight security mounted by fresh troops of soldiers and policemen deployed to the city on the order of the federal government.
The heavily armed soldiers and anti-riot policemen had effectively regained the security situation in the city, forcing the warring youths of Urhobo and Itsekiri back to their various hide-outs. No fewer than 15 persons died and about 150 buildings razed on either sides during the ethnic bloodbath, which saw the officers and men of 7th Battalion, Effurun, saddled with peace keeping in the city to run for cover. Among the casualities were two policemen and one soldier. The 7th Battalion, which has been variously accused of sharp practices in the management of the crisis also lost two service riffles in the mayhem. The non implementation of 12 wards structure for Warri South was cited as the root cause of the crisis.
Worried by the destruction to lives and property in the fracticidal war, the presidency had ordered the Brigade Commander, 2nd Brigade Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Major Gen. Yusuf Usman, to lead a fresh troops to the city with a stern instruction to enforce law and order as well as give a sense of direction to the derailing officers and soldiers of 7th Battalion. Weekend's investigation by our correspondent revealed that Usman's team had succeeded in putting the warring youths at bay and peace was in the offing.
For now, Vanguard learnt that sporadic shooting and arson attack, prevalent on the wake of the crisis, especially at the hot bed of the ethnic hostilities such as Okere, Ajamimogha, Estate, and Okumagba avenue had stopped as armed soldiers and mobile policemen mounted surveillance at strategic locations in the city.
Besides the troubled spots, Usman in his wisdom also stationed the security agents at areas prove to attack such as Agbassa, Ugborikoko, Ekurede-Urhobo and Ekurede Itsekiri, among others. Although normal and economic life has not completely returned to the war-torn areas of the city, a number of residents were sighted at the hitherto deserted areas. Already, motorists and paedestrians had begun plying all the critically abandoned routes of Okere/Ajamimogha, Okere/Ebola, Estate/Total/Okumagba Avenue roads at the weekend, raising hope of early restoration of normalcy in the city. However, security still remained tight as armed soldiers and policemen continued to embark on stop and search on motorists and paedestrians. Motorists and passers by conspicuously raised up their hands on approaching security check-points as a sign of obedience to the constituted authority.
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