TWO DEATHS IN MILITARY CUSTODY IN ONE WEEK: THERE’S CLEAR EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING OF OKUAMA LEADERS WITHOUT TRIAL BY FG AND HER ARMY

BY ZIK GBEMRE

With the death of yet another Okuama Community leader, 81 years old Pa Dennis Okugbaye, in military detention without trial, it is now obvious there is a grand conspiracy by federal government for extrajudicial killing of Okuama Community leaders.

The death of Pa Okugbaye, Treasurer of Okuama, comes just six days after President General of Okuama community in Ughelli South LGA, Pa James Oghoroko, a septuagenarian died in same circumstance.

A Professor of Physics and President General of Ewu Kingdom, Arthur Ekpokpo and three others are still being illegally held in military custody over the Okuama crisis.

The military are gradually killing these people without a court of competent jurisdiction having convicted anyone of them for alleged role in the March 2024 killing of 17 soldiers on a doubtful peace mission in Okuama.

This same Nigerian Army has admitted that prime suspect over the killing soldiers in Okuama is an Ijaw militant who is neither related to Okuama nor live there. The Nigerian Army, by their own intelligence gathering admitted that the said prime suspect killed 17 soldiers in anger over military disruption of his oil theft escapades.

This was after the army had invaded, burnt and levelled every structure, but left one church building, in Okuama, killing unverified number of residents in the vengeful mission to push Okuama into extinction. Now they are gradually killing Okuama community leaders with detention without trial with impunity while the prime suspect is walking a freeman.

From what is now common knowledge, the Army are also exercising the impunity to extort from relations of the arrested persons. On 6 December 2024, the authorities had issued a signal for release of Pa Okugbaye on health ground to enable him get medicinal attention.

That directive was kept on hold for 3 days till those in charge pressured the deceased family to cough out over N400,000 paid through a POS recommended by men of the Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

And as always, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori as Chief Security Officer of Delta and full blooded Urhobo man is so mum, so unfeeling. Misfit UPU President General, Ese Gam Owe have not pronounced a word. Should we keep silent and leave Okuama community rudderless in the face of clear conspiracy to exterminate her people? Should Urhobo Nation be quiet.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you are President of Nigeria and not a military head of state. So the military has no constitutional power to detain civilians without trial in law courts?
If the military has any reason to arrest them then they must hand them over to Nigerian police force.

Tinubu who claims to be a democrat is leading administration when Okuama civilians are being detained by the military. The military detention is not trial of any kind. Tinubu please tell your military to release the remaining detained Ewu and Okuama leaders still languishing in military detention without trials.

Please release Prof Arthur Ekpokpo and others still in military detention. I condemn kiling of soldiers, innocent Okuama locals and burning of Okuama community. I am in pains as I write this. Tinubu you lived in US and schooled in US,is that how the military perform official duties in US?

Is it military that detain civilians in US,UK & France without trials? Few days ago Tinubu was in France and you saw how the country is organised and led by leaders. Why don’t you borrow the leadership qualities you see in France and UK you visit frequently. For the military to detain civilians is out dated and undemocratic.

You have ambassadors in democracy strong hold, please ask them what is in vogue in leadership. We won’t accept Nigerian military to torture Okuama community leaders to death in military detention. It is unacceptable.

Zik Gbemre
December 11, 2024

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