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

Published

4 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

Editor

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.
VANGUARD

Related Topics:Army Delta Community Okuama

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Shettima Launches NEDC’s School Enrollment Drive Programme

Published

10 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Programme (ASSEP) initiated by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in collaboration with the office of the VP to enhance child enrollment drive in schools within the North-East sub-region.

Speaking during the launching of the programme in Bauchi on Saturday, the VP said that consequences of the nation’s action and inaction were evident in all indices used to assess development.

He said while primary education provides a foundation, secondary education is a bridge, adding that the Northeast sub-region has been the victim of inability to enforce a uniform policy to drive school and the persistent cultural perversion to formal education in the country.

“We in the Northeast occupy a quantum of position in ranking of essential services. Education being a key sector of this country, this is especially pronounced in the post primary education, while the Northeast secondary school enrollment drive stands at 19 percent, far below the nation’s 39 percent,” he said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said that the primary education completion level of 85 per cent in the Northeast is among the best in Nigeria, but secondary school enrolment is a mere 15 per cent, the second worst nationally.

According to him, due to the challenges in the post-primary education segment, JAMB UTME applications and admissions into tertiary institutions in 2019 were the lowest for the Northeast compared to other regions.

He added that, nationally, the Northeast has the lowest number of teachers and the highest percentage 55 per cent of those available are without literacy skills.

The MD also revealed that the challenges in the post-primary education segment include weak quality indices and a wide demand-supply gap driven by economic and cultural factors.

“The Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme seeks to boost the post primary education rating across the North East region through improved enrolment into tertiary institutions.

“It’s also to improve skills development as well as the elevation of teacher quality. It would pay special focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and communication.

“These would foster creativity and critical thinking; motivates and inspires young people to generate new technologies and ideas to learn from inquiry-based tasks,” he said.

Alkali also explained that the programme would also raise awareness about after-school possibilities and the potential for diligent students to become successful and prominent contributors to the North East region and Nigeria at large.

He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government especially, the Vice President for the deep interest and commitment to human development in the North-East.

News

Edo Police Break Silence On Operatives Fighting Dirty In Viral Video

Published

11 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The Edo State Police Command says a trending video showing two operatives of the command engaging in a fight is a handiwork of mischief makers.

In the video which has gone viral on the internet, two policemen are seen fighting themselves, while a voice commentary in the background claims they are from the Igueben Decisional Police Station headquarters in the state.

A writeup also attached to a version of the video sighted by Info Daily also claims that the policemen were fighting because of sharing formula of money collected from motorists on the highway. The writeup also claims that the incident happened yesterday, May 17th, 2024.

But reacting to the viral video in a statement issued by SP Chidi Nwabuzor, Police Public Relations Officer, the command said contrary to the claim, the incident happened in 2020, adding that disciplinary measures were taken against the erring policemen.

The statement which issued electronically to newsmen in Benin on Saturday evening partly reads: “Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it’s aware of a video trending on the internet showing two policemen that engaged themselves in a fight in public spaces and wishes to state as follows that;

“The now trending video happened in April 2020 in a community called Ebelle in the Igueben local government area of Edo State.

“The two erring policemen, namely; (i) F/NO.491112 CPL Ozimeade Aidonojie and (ii) F/NO. 516384 PC Salubi Stephen were attached to Ebelle Police Divisional Headquarters.

“They defaulted, tried in an orderly and upon conviction dismissed from the Force for the offence of discreditable conduct contrary to Paragraph ‘E’ Sub Section 111 of the Police Act and Regulations 370 Cap. P19 of Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

Nwabuzor in the statement reiterated the state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, commitment to “making Edo State a desired secured state where the law abiding citizens and the general public go about their lawful businesses in making Edo State economic hubs of Nigeria without fear or intimidation.”

News

Excitement, Dance As ‘Looted Ancestral Stools’ Return To Oba Of Benin

Published

11 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

It was a moment of joy, excitement and dance at the palace of the Oba of Benin as the revered monarch, Oba Ewuare II took custody of two looted royal stools from the German government.

They were handed over to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM on behalf of the Nigerian government by the German authorities in 2022.

The Director-General of
National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway made the presentation on behalf of the Federal Government on Saturday May18, 2024 in Oba of Benin Palace, Benin City.

According to history, the artefacts — Bronze and wooden Royal stools (Ekete), made during the reign of Oba Eresoyen and Oba Esigie several Centuries ago, were looted from Oba Palace during the punitive expedition in 1897.

Addressing the Benin Throne during the presentation of the artefacts, Mr Holloway, pledged on behalf of NCMM, to work-hand-in hand with the Benin Royal Court in uplifting and displaying Edo heritage.

He revealed that as the Benin Bronzes and other art works are gradually making their way home (Nigeria), “NCMM will join hands with the Royal Court to create a befitting destination for people around the world to come and appreciate these works”.

“What you see before us were originally taken away from the Royal family in 1897.

“We have a stool made of Bronze and a wooden stool.

“I speak for every member of my team, to say that we remain loyal to the Royal Court. And if there is anything we can do, we will do to support this laudable initiative.

“This heritage is not just Benin heritage, but Nigeria’s heritage.
When we speak of Benin heritage, there is nobody that doesn’t know the great works of ours.

“I appreciate you, we will always do what we can do with our powers to make His Royal Majesty lineage in memory”, he said.

After unveiling the repatriated Artefacts, Oba of Benin, who danced joyfully to Benin traditional rendition in dramatic dance steps, with excited Chiefs and members of the Royal family, offered prayers to Almighty God and his ancestors.

The traditional ruler, who was visibly overwhelmed with joy, appreciated the German government and the Federal Government and the NCMM leadership for their efforts.

The royal father, thereafter, in a historic move, sat in one of the royal stools (Ekete), and personally presented a chunk of white, which, according to belief, symbolizes peace and blessings to the Director-General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway.

Oba Ewuare II also prayed for Mr Holloway and his team, accompanied by the Curator, National Museum, Benin, Mr Mark Olaitan, Director, Legal Services, NCMM, Barrister Babatunde Adebiyi on the visit where Royal Drummers gave a good account of their stewardship.