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Okuama-Ewu identifies 11 persons Killed By Military, 413 Houses Destroyed

Published

1 year ago

April 22, 2024

Okuama-Ewu in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State has revealed the names of 11 people that troops of the Nigerian Army purportedly shot dead when they overran the community after the killing of 17 military personnel in the riverside town on March 14.

The community, which instituted a fresh N151 billion suit against the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation, Nigerian Army, Chief of Defence Staff, Nigerian Police, and Commissioner of Police, Delta State, at a Federal High Court in Warri, also listed 413 houses, seven churches, shrines, and other properties allegedly destroyed by the soldiers.

A community leader, and one of the three applicants in the new N151 billion suit, Mr. Bernard Esegba, said: “The following are among the people killed by the personnel of the third respondent (Armed Forces of the Federation): Mr. Wilson Eshebi Okorume; Mr. Joseph Ikpitere Ejomafuvwe; Mr. Teddy Ufuoma; Mr. Avwarariko Akpoprobaro, and Mr. Tega Osiko Oyibo.”

“Others are Mr. Meshack Igho; Mr. Hausa Super; Mr. Agbabuneke Okiemute; Mr. Taiga OmoJesu; Mr. Omogre Ashimini, and Mr. Omotegbono Isaac Esapo.”

He stated that during the invasion, the troops “destroyed and burnt buildings belonging to our Okuama community in the nine quarters of the community and left no single building standing.”

“The third respondent’s personnel razed down the entire community as a form of retaliation or revenge for the killing of their said personnel.”

The Okuama-Ewu community enumerated 413 houses belonging to different persons, including Archbishop Cyril Odutemu, UgrLowo family compound, Esegba Okolo family compound, Late Bishop Agori Iwe building, Rt. Hon. Godwon Owoko Esegba building, Madam Ugrowo Okoro, Late Pa Emabi hall, and Pa Oghenehwosa Okoro.

“As of the time of this report, the above are those whose damaged or burned buildings/houses in the community we have been able to ascertain. Several other buildings and houses belong to members of our community in the various quarters.”

‘Other properties destroyed’
“I am aware that during the said invasion of our community by the third respondent’s personnel, they also destroyed or burned down the following church buildings: Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Okuama; Okuama Baptist Church; God’s Grace Ministry, Okuama; Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Okuama; Okuama Catholic Church; Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, Okuama; and Okuama Anglican Church pastorium.”

“They also destroyed the solar electricity power system installed in the various quarters of our community.

“They burnt several personal belongings of our people in our homes and houses, including wrappers (dresses), of men and women, native shirts, coral beads and other expensive pieces of jewelry, shoes, caps/walking sticks, traditional boxes of clothes, air cooler boxes, television sets, refrigerators, deep freezers, and electricity generators, telephone handsets, and cooking utensils, among others.

“They also destroyed food items at home and the Okuama Market, including yams, garri, fish (fresh and dried fish), plantain, bush meat, snails, shellfish of various kinds, rice, beans, and others.

“The above acts of destruction and burning down of our community by the personnel of the third respondent were carried out between March 14 and March 25, 2024.”

In the notice of application for the enforcement of fundamental human rights filed in the Federal High Court, Warri, between Prof Arthur Ekpekpo, one of the eight persons the Defence Headquarters declared wanted for the killing of 17 military personnel, Mr James Oghoroko, president-general of Okuama community, and Esegba as applicants, on behalf of residents of Okuama, sought 24 reliefs.

The seven respondents are the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Nigerian Police Force, and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State.

Chief Albert Akpomudje, SAN is leading the 14-man team of lawyers for the applicants, including Prof Joseph Abugu, O. J. Oghenejabor, Chief Emmanuel Omovie, Dr. Jonathan Ekperusi, Mrs. Efe Olomu, and Andrew Ubido, Felix America, Omoefe Evueyere, Oshevire Gbakeji Esq, Simon Sabuka, Miss Oghomaria Erirhe, Princess Omeyoma Eshemitan and Miss Hope-Marina Uduapi.

Among the reliefs they sought from the court is a declaration that the continuing occupation of the Okuama community by the Nigerian Army until date is ultra vires the powers of the Nigerian Army.

A declaration that the declaration of the first applicant as a wanted person by the third and fifth respondents in connection with the killing of personnel of the third respondent on March 14 or thereabout, amounts to defamation of the character and person of the first applicant as a respected university professor and community leader.

A declaration that the so-called declaration also amounts to usurpation of the constitutional responsibility of the sixth and seventh respondents.
An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, their officers, agents, privies, representatives, or howsoever, from further infringing on the fundamental rights of the applicants’ in Okuama community.

An order setting aside the unilateral declaration of the first applicant and other members of the applicants’ Okuama community as wanted persons by the third and fifth respondents as well the killing of personnel of the third respondent on March 14 or thereabout.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining the third and fifth respondents from usurping the constitutional responsibility of the sixth and seventh respondents on investigation of crimes allegedly committed by civilians in Nigeria, under Section 215 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

An order of mandatory injunction directing the sixth and seventh respondents to investigate every allegation of crime levelled against the first applicant, and other members of the applicants’ Okuama community.

An order of mandatory injunction directing respondents to immediately rebuild and immediately rehabilitate members of the applicants’ Okuama community by rebuilding their houses, homesteads, farmlands, churches, shrines, schools, markets, forests, villages, and properties destroyed during the respondents’ unlawful invasion and destruction of the lives and properties of the applicants’ Okuama community.

An order of mandatory injunction directing the first and second respondents to set up a valuation committee that must include representatives of the applicants’ Okuama community, and the Delta State Government to carry out a thorough valuation of the extent of damage and destruction committed in the applicants’ Okuama community by the personnel of the third and fifth respondents.

An order of mandatory injunction directing the personnel of the third and fifth respondents to discontinue their occupation of the applicants’ Okuama community to enable the people of the Okuama community to return to their ancestral homes to treat the wounded, bury the dead, and reintegrate back into their community.

They demanded N150 billion as general damages for the gross violation of the fundamental rights of the applicants’ Okuama community.

The applicants also request one billion naira as general damages for the defamation of the character and person of the first applicant, whom the third and fifth respondents declared wanted in connection with the killing of the personnel of the third respondent on March 14, 2024, or thereabouts.
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Related Topics:Army Delta Community Okuama

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LG Chairman Drags Niger Govt To Court Over Alleged Tenure Reduction

Published

10 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger, has sued the state government over alleged reduction of tenure of local government chairmen and councillors.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, sought an order restraining the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) and its co-defendants from conducting the scheduled LGAs’ election until the expiration of their tenure.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NSIEC has fixed November 1 for the conduct of the local government poll across the state.

However, the plaintiff, in the suit, named the Attorney-General of Niger State, the House of Assembly, NSIEC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Inspector-General (IG) of Police as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

The chairman is challenging the constitutionality of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001, which seeks to reduce the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors from four years to three years.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025, dated July 10 but filed July 11 by his counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, sought eight questions for determination.

The chairman questions whether the state government can enforce inconsistent local government law, 2001 (as amended), which clashed with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Should Niger State Local Government Law Section 29 (2) be declared unconstitutional for clashing with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022,” he said.

The plaintiff seeks a declaration that a four-year tenure for local government chairmen and councillors is constitutionally guaranteed by virtue of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.

The suit also challenged the NSIEC’s preparation for the local government elections slated for November 1.

The plaintiff, therefore, seeks an order restraining the defendants from the elections on Nov. 1 until the expiration of a four-year tenure for chairmen and councillors.

The suit also seeks to restrain INEC and the I-G from providing logistical support and security protection for the election.

Yakubu-Ladan argued that the state’s local government law, 2001, is inconsistent with Section 7 of the constitution and Sections 018 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge as of the time of the report.

News

France’s Top Court Annuls Arrest Warrant Against Syria’s Ex-president al-Assad

Published

11 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

France’s highest court Friday annulled a French arrest warrant against Syria’s ex-president Bashar al-Assad — issued before his ouster — over 2013 deadly chemical attacks.

The Court of Cassation ruled there were no exceptions to presidential immunity, even for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But its presiding judge, Christophe Soulard, added that, as Assad was no longer president after an Islamist-led group toppled him in December, “new arrest warrants can have been, or can be, issued against him” and as such the investigation into the case could continue.

Human rights advocates had hoped the court would rule that immunity did not apply because of the severity of the allegations, which would have set a major precedent in international law towards holding accused war criminals to account.

French authorities issued the warrant against Assad in November 2023 over his alleged role in the chain of command for a sarin gas attack that killed more than 1,000 people, according to US intelligence, on August 4 and 5, 2013 in Adra and Douma outside Damascus.

Assad is accused of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the case. Syrian authorities at the time denied involvement and blamed rebels.

– Universal jurisdiction –

The French judiciary tackled the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, whereby a court may prosecute individuals for serious crimes committed in other countries.

An investigation — based on testimonies of survivors and military defectors, as well as photos and video footage — led to warrants for the arrest of Assad, his brother Maher who headed an elite army unit, and two generals.

Public prosecutors approved three of the warrants, but issued an appeal against the one targeting Assad, arguing he should have immunity as a head of state.

The Paris Court of Appeal in June last year however upheld it, and prosecutors again appealed.

But in December, Assad’s circumstances changed.

He and his family fled to Russia, according to Russian authorities, after he was ousted by advancing rebels.

In January, French investigating magistrates issued a second arrest warrant against Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes for a bombing in the Syrian city of Deraa in 2017 that killed a French-Syrian civilian.

– Indictment of ex-bank governor valid –

The Court of Cassation said Assad’s so called “personal immunity”, granted because of his office, meant he could not be targeted by arrest warrants until his ouster.

But it ruled that “functional immunity”, which is granted to people who perform certain functions of state, could be lifted in the case of accusations of severe crimes.

Thus it upheld the French judiciary’s indictment in another case of ex-governor of the Central Bank of Syria and former finance minister, Adib Mayaleh, for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity over alleged funding of the Assad government during the civil war.

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Fashion Designers, IT Specialists: UK Opens Door To Foreign Talents With New Visa Rules

Published

11 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom has expanded its Skilled Worker visa route to include more than 70 mid-level occupations, opening the door for foreign professionals such as fashion designers, technicians, and IT specialists to work in the country with salaries starting from €29,000.

This move, which took effect on July 22, 2025, is part of the government’s strategy to tackle urgent labour shortages by easing access to roles traditionally considered outside the high-skilled visa category.

The update introduces a newly expanded Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), which comes with significantly lower salary thresholds and streamlined visa processes for eligible roles across sectors such as engineering, construction, healthcare, science, finance, creative arts, and information technology.

The changes reflect a deliberate shift to address staffing gaps in industries critical to the UK economy.

Under the revised rules, salary requirements now vary based on an applicant’s visa history. While standard

thresholds still apply to newcomers, those categorized as “new entrants,” PhD holders, or individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas prior to April 4, 2024, can qualify at lower salary levels.

For instance, a pipe fitter who previously needed to earn at least £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are permitted at £34,700, down from £42,500. In the creative sector, fashion designers can now qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in tech are eligible at £28,600. Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply with £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.

This restructured visa list is seen as a direct response to economic and political pressures surrounding skills shortages. It seeks to make the UK labor market more globally competitive while addressing domestic gaps in practical, mid-level roles.

Despite these new allowances, all applicants must still meet basic eligibility requirements, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applications must also include proof of qualifications, salary information, and a valid job match aligned with the official occupation codes.

Although the government describes the updated list as temporary, no fixed end date has been announced.