Angry youths chase traders from Delta market over toilet contract
Tension escalated at the Ughelli/Ogor Modern Market in Delta State as angry youths from Ogor community disrupted activities, chasing away traders and confronting the council chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, stemmed from allegations that a contract for toilet maintenance was awarded to an individual outside the community. Speaking to reporters, […]
Tension escalated at the Ughelli/Ogor Modern Market in Delta State as angry youths from Ogor community disrupted activities, chasing away traders and confronting the council chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, stemmed from allegations that a contract for toilet maintenance was awarded to an individual outside the community.
Speaking to reporters, a trader who preferred anonymity said, “We heard that the toilet maintenance contract was given to someone from another local government. This angered the Ogor youths who insist that such jobs should be handled by community members.”
The dispute is rooted in longstanding disagreements over the market’s ownership and land royalty claims. The market, commissioned during Chief James Onanefe Ibori’s tenure as governor, has been a flashpoint for communal tensions.
Chairman Egbo recently announced plans to reallocate shops that had remained closed for over six months. This decision reignited hostilities, with Ogor youths demanding exclusive rights due to their claim over the market land.
During the chairman’s visit to address the traders, the youths stormed the market, halting proceedings and forcing traders to flee, leaving their goods behind. A trader recalled, “When the youths came, they chased everyone away. The chairman’s intervention with security agents helped restore calm.”
The council argues that the reallocation was aimed at boosting economic activities, but Ogor leaders view it as a disregard for their traditional rights, a community source revealed, adding “Our leader was approached to negotiate with the contractor, but we insisted the job must go to an Ogor indigene.”
Normalcy returned following interventions from Ogor community leaders, who urged the youths to embrace dialogue. They called on the Delta State Government to mediate and resolve the crisis amicably.
Residents now await government action to address the deepening communal rift and ensure the market fulfils its economic potential without further disruptions.
Efforts to reach the council chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Efe Ekete, for comments were unsuccessful.