There was widespread panic on Sunday in Uduere, a suburb of the Abovwe community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, following an invasion by armed thugs and security operatives allegedly acting on the orders of the embattled council chairman, Jaro Egbo.
Ekwutosblog gathered that the armed group, comprising suspected thugs and security personnel, stormed the community to disrupt a family meeting convened by the Abovwe Descendants Union (ADU).
During the raid, the assailants reportedly assaulted elders and women, destroyed chairs and canopies, and intimidated residents while firing shots into the air.
The attack is believed to be linked to an ongoing feud between Chairman Egbo, his extended family, and the recently dismissed chairman of the Ughelli North Motor Park Revenue Committee, Gowon Egoide.
The rift stems from serious allegations of corruption, including demands for kickbacks, misappropriation of public funds, and acts of intimidation and embezzlement, levelled against Egbo by Egoide and the ADU.
Last week, Egbo, through a statement signed by the Secretary to the Local Government, Goodluck Unuavworho, announced the dissolution of the Motor Parks Revenue Committee, citing the committee’s alleged failure to maintain accurate and transparent financial records.
The move sparked further controversy. In response, Egoide accused Egbo of demanding monthly kickbacks of ₦400,000, allegedly deposited into the council chairman’s private Globus Bank account under the name Jaro Omovudu Egbo.
He also claimed that Egbo’s wife, Mrs. Vivian Egbo, received a ₦1.2 million bribe through her business account, Viviaro Enterprises, domiciled with First Bank.
Egoide, however, rejected the official reasons provided for the dissolution of the committee, describing the move as an act of “political vendetta and corruption.”
He claimed it was a calculated attempt by Chairman Jaro Egbo to mask personal animosity and mislead the public. According to Egoide, the real motive behind the dissolution was his refusal to support Egbo’s bid to impose a candidate as youth chairman of the Abovwe Descendants Union, a family organisation to which both men belong.
Egbo was recently suspended by the Abovwe Descendants Union (ADU)—his own family—and barred from attending family meetings and participating in family activities over allegations of gross misconduct, dishonesty, assault on elders, and the fraudulent conversion of family property.
In a communiqué dated May 12, 2025, issued after a family meeting and signed by representatives of the four family groups—Pa. David Oduorere (Owhefe), Pa. Emmanuel Arhern Erhueh (Ogun), Mr. Joseph Egoide (Odebor), and Pa. Emagboro (Erineyenre)—the family strongly condemned Egbo’s actions.
They accused him of physically assaulting family elders on April 29, 2025, calling the act a disgrace and a blatant insult to the institution of elderhood.
The communiqué also highlighted multiple instances of financial misconduct by Egbo, including the mismanagement of family lands and funds. Furthermore, the council chairman was accused of exceeding his authority by threatening the family leader and attempting to hijack leadership roles within the union.
The communique read, “Besides his abnormal disrespect to the family elders in council, he has been called upon to pay back to the family amounts he has defrauded the family. He legitimately purchased 6 acres for his residence but is presently occupying 11 acres without recourse to the family. He collected N8 million from the family to pursue extension of electricity poles to Abovwe quarters which till date he has not done for over three years. Another N8 million of family funds realised from sales of family land at Akpuvanagha.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, armed political thugs and security agents suspected to be loyal to Egbo stormed Uduere, a suburb of the Abovwe community in Delta State, and violently disrupted a family meeting organised by the Abovwe Descendants Union (ADU). During the invasion, elders and women were reportedly assaulted.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the attackers also destroyed chairs and canopies arranged for the meeting, while intimidating residents with firearms and firing shots indiscriminately.
In the course of the attack, the assailants allegedly vandalised E and G Hotel and destroyed properties worth millions of naira belonging to the former chairman of the Ughelli North Motor Park Revenue Committee, Egoide.
In response, women and youths took to the streets in protest, demanding the intervention of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and calling for immediate action against the council chairman.
The protesting women, waving green leaves and chanting war songs, accused Egbo of deploying armed thugs and security agents to terrorise their community and disrupt a peaceful family gathering.
“There is serious tension across the Ughelli North and its environs because of this morning’s invasion by Egbo’s armed thugs and security agents. Egbo should resign; he’s not fit to govern the local government,” one of the protesting women said.
“We, the people of Uduere have vowed never to forget this day of horror, and we shall resist any further attempt by Egbo and his armed thugs and security agents to destroy our community.”
Speaking with Ekwutosblog, some community members who witnessed the invasion and requested anonymity described the scene as terrifying, saying armed youths and policemen pounced on attendees, fired shots indiscriminately, and physically assaulted elders and women.
He said, “There was serious sporadic shooting, firing of live ammunition into the air. The armed thugs invaded the community with a bus with ‘Press’ on it from the council and Hilus vehicles. People were left with injuries.
“The action of the council chairman is barbaric and undemocratic. It is a known fact that the council chairman has so many bad boys, thugs and even suspected cultists around him who will at any time attack anyone who dares to speak against him.
“Governor Sheriff Oborevwori must caution Jaro, even though we know he planted him as council chairman to do dirty jobs during the 2027 general election against the APC. But now all of them have defected to the APC.”
When filing this report, the embattled Ughelli North council chairman, Jaro Egbo, did not respond to calls or messages sent to his mobile phone.