Tension has gripped Emede community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State following a violent clash between youths and operatives of the Joint Task Force, known as Operation Delta Sweep, leaving two security operatives in critical condition and triggering a reprisal that reportedly saw houses set ablaze.
Eyewitnesses said the confrontation erupted on Thursday when a team of armed operatives stormed a popular brothel in the community to arrest suspected drug users.
According to residents, the operatives arrived in a white Hilux van and allegedly began arresting persons without prior notification to community leaders, a move locals claimed violated an existing local security understanding.
An eyewitness said confusion escalated after the operatives allegedly brandished weapons and attempted to disperse residents, including customers and traders around the area.
“They started arresting people and threatened to shoot. They even attempted to fire but their guns malfunctioned due to the terrain. That was what angered the youths,” the source claimed.
The situation reportedly degenerated into violence, during which two operatives were beaten into a coma before they were rushed to a medical facility, while others escaped from the scene.
Residents added that the clash was partly fuelled by a longstanding arrangement in the community requiring security operatives to notify local leadership before carrying out arrests.
However, the following day, the situation escalated further when a heavy security convoy reportedly returned to the community.
Another eyewitness alleged that over 10 military trucks carrying soldiers stormed Emede on Friday in what appeared to be a reprisal operation.
“Emede looked like a war zone. Soldiers came in large numbers, arresting people indiscriminately. The community president-general, the vigilante chairman and several others were taken away,” the source said.
The witness further alleged that several houses and properties worth millions of naira were set ablaze during the operation.
“The Joint Task Force came back in force and burnt houses. The entire community was thrown into panic,” he added.
Residents, however, insisted that the task force had earlier operated without proper authorisation, alleging extortion and misconduct claims which remain unverified.
Reacting to the crisis, the Chairman of Isoko South LGA, Friday Ovoke Warri, condemned the violence and appealed for calm among residents.
Warri, who visited the troubled community alongside the traditional ruler and local security stakeholders, said the administration would not tolerate attacks on security personnel or destruction of public and private property.
He also expressed sympathy for families affected by the violence and assured that steps were being taken to restore normalcy.
The council boss disclosed that a dusk-to-dawn curfew, restricting movement between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., had been imposed in the area as part of emergency security measures.
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