UPDATED: ICYMI: Ugborodo Accuses ‘Traditional Chief’ of Murder, Call on DSS, NSA, CDS, IGP to Treat Victim’s Death as National Security

An uneasy calm has pervaded Ugborodo, an oil-rich community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, but the indigenes of the area are unhappy over the unresolved murder of Emiko Onuwaje, an indigene of Ugborodo

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) reports the Ugborodo Community Management Committee (UCMC), following the development has urged Nigeria’s top security agencies—DSS, NSA, CDS, and IGP—to treat the case as a matter of national security.

Violence erupted in Ugborodo last December, leading to the alleged killing of Emiko by unidentified assailants. Despite the deployment of military forces to the community, tensions persist. The crisis is rooted in ongoing factional leadership conflicts that have plagued the area for over four years. The recent violence culminated in Emiko’s death, a youth from Ogidigben, a community within Ugborodo.

In response to the killing, angry mobs reportedly attacked the residence of a newly installed Chief of Warri Kingdom, setting the property ablaze. The community’s leaders are calling for urgent intervention from national security top brass to address the matter comprehensively.

Speaking at a press conference held in Ogidigben, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, leadership of UCMC blamed an undisclosed traditional chief for the upheaval and consequent death of the youth.

They called on the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Chief of Army and Defence Staff to reclassify the December 20, 2025, murder of Emiko as a national security priority involving organized crime and illegal arms proliferation.

The UCMC Secretary, Mr. Eyengho S. Besidone, alongside Chairman Mr. Emmanuel Onuwaje, alleged that the central figure behind the violence is a high-ranking traditional chief who remains “untouched by law enforcement” despite multiple petitions.

UCMC leadership expressed grave concern that the suspect continues to walk the streets of Warri with apparent immunity, suggesting a breakdown in the rule of law.

“We have observed with grave worry that certain individuals are deliberately attempting to manipulate, dilute, and mischaracterize this case,” Eyengho stated.

“This deliberate distortion is dangerous. It emboldens criminals and erodes public confidence in the justice system”, he said while addressing journalist at the riverine community.

He called on the Inspector – General of Police, to ensure the immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of the said traditional chief and all his identified accomplices.

The community’s petition goes beyond local grievances, alleging that a “criminal group” has been openly boasting that the murder case is “settled.”

According to the UCMC, these suspects claim to have the backing of a top security official within the Delta State government, leading to fears of a compromised command structure.

While calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the named traditional chief and his accomplices, UCMC also demanded an investigation into “compromised security personnel” who may have facilitated the crime or shielded the suspects.

They also demanded for protection of witnesses and community members “facing threats and intimidation.”

Adding weight to the national security claim, prominent Ugborodo indigene and security stakeholder, Chief Ayirimi Emami, revealed that the violence may be linked to the region’s notorious illegal oil trade.

Emami disclosed that his surveillance firm had previously filed petitions regarding “illegal bunkering activities” in the Ogidigben area, but that efforts to curb the sabotage were met with stiff resistance.

Emami further alleged that “highly placed persons” are currently lobbying in Abuja to ensure the suspects escape justice, transforming a local murder case into a litmus test for the Tinubu administration’s stance on Niger Delta security.

For the residents of Ogidigben, the legal and political maneuvering is a backdrop to a human tragedy. Pa James Mene, the Deputy Olare-Aja of Ogidigben, made a somber appeal to both the Federal and Delta State governments, urging that the blood of Emiko Onuwaje not be ignored in favor of political expediency.

As of Sunday, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police have yet to issue a formal response to the UCMC’s briefing. However, tension still pervaded Ugborodo which host Nigeria’s several oil and gas assets.