The Local Government Council chairman for Ethiope West Local Government Area in Delta State, Hon. Oghenedoro Owoso has been attacked by angry youth over endless electricity blackouts in the community.
The youth during the attack, Injured the chairman’s aide and a policeman attached to him while also cart away the policeman’s rifle.
Also, the youth who were protesting over 8 years of electricity blackout, in the process abducted two officials of the Benin Distribution Company, BEDC, for hours before security men came and stormed their hideout to set them free.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Mosogar Community in Delta State has been without electricity for over eight years, an issue that has led to the protest since November last year and thousands of residents taking to the Benin-Warri expressway in protest again in April, barricading the major expressway for hours.
However, the problem started again on Tuesday, May 4, when some of the youth who were fed up with the enormous promises from the community leaders to revive the electricity brought it upon themselves to abduct two BEDC officials who were on patrol.
According to one Anthony Akpotobor, who claimed to have witnessed the incident told Vanguard that “After the officials were abducted, they tried to force them to fuse the light but the police were informed and the Mosogar Divisional Police Officer, DPO, reached out to the chairman of the council who in turn drove in to appease them, that was when he was attacked.”
Also, one of the chairman’s aides who pleaded to the condition of anonymity to Vanguard that his boss passed through that process because he felt he could appease them, stating that, “They attacked us and disarmed one of the policemen attached to the chairman and in the process, one of the chairman’s aide was shot and the mobile policeman was abducted and taken away to a shrine close to the river – they were about taking them with a boat through the river when security men came to rescue them.”
While confirming the incident, Hon. Owosso told Vanguard that his car was shot adding that “My brother, we should thank God.”
He further said there are ways to push their grievances across stating that some of them have been arrested but let them bring the arms, everything is about dialogue that was why I went through to appeal to them so that we can collectively map out a way for them to have light.
Meanwhile, security men were seen patrolling the community while the busy streets have remained empty as at the time of filing this report.
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