By Abiola Olawale
The indigenes of the Okuama community situated in Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government of Delta state have written a letter to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the state and the Commissioner of Police, Delta state command, Abaniwonda Surajudeen Olufemi, alleging that a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, is the mastermind behind the carnage that occurred in the area in recent weeks.
The community under the leadership of its president general of Okuama Community, Mr. James Oghoroko alleged that Akpobenekeme and other Okoloba youths had been terrorizing the Okuama Community in a bid to falsely claim their traditional and ancestral assets.
In the letter filed by the legal counsel of the Okuama community, Barrister Innocent Ejedegba, and made available to the New Diplomat, the community recalled that the crisis started on the 27th of January 2024, when the community was attacked by the Okoloba Community leading to the death of Igho Meshack, Power Awusa, and Okiemute Agbakulaka.
The attack left many dehumanized as one Naira Osereta, Helen Nana, Helen Godwin, Baby Ubiodekporo, Victor Aphiayerhe, Baby Edafe, and Kingsley Gentle were unlucky and rushed to Otu-Jeremi General Hospital for medical attention.
The community also urged the police, the Department of State Security Service (SSS) Delta State, and relevant government agencies to thoroughly investigate the actions of Akpobenekeme and other Okoloba youths so that the truth would be brought to light.
The letter reads in part, “It is with heavy hearts filled with grief that we the people of Okuama-Ewu community Ughelli South Local Government Area bring to your attention the unwarranted and unsuspected deadly attack on our community and our people by the people of Okoloba community.
“The fatal attack claimed several lives of our loved ones, leaving many with different degrees of injuries and displacing many of our people who are now living in fear and seeking refuge in other communities. The attack was orchestrated, planned, instigated and masterminded by one PATRICK AKPOBENEKEME from the Okoloba community who is recently claiming ownership of assets of the Okuama-Ewu community as belonging to the Okoloba community.
“Our ancestors and progenitors are the natives and original traditional founders of the Okuama-Ewu community since time immemorial. Our fathers lived peacefully and enjoyed the gifts and benefits of nature with our neighbours along the coastal river bounding the riverine communities. We are well known for our love for humanity and our penchant for peaceful co-existence.
“We have been living in peace and have been enjoying relative tranquillity with our neighbours including the Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area, until some time ago when one PATRICK AKPOBENEKEME was appointed by the then President Goodluck Jonathan as a director in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The said PATRICK AKPOBENEKEME is a native of Okoloba community, a community along the coastal river and our neighbour as they are the closest community to us in the riverine.
“The said PATRICK AKPOBENEKEME after he made some money from NIMASA started to dispute the ownership of our ancient traditional properties and heritage. PATRICK AKPOBENEKEME successfully laid false claims of our traditional and ancestral assets and formed a violent group of local militants in the Okoloba community that have been violently chasing, dehumanizing and terrorizing our people from lands and rivers belonging to us and claiming they belong to the Okoloba community.”
The New Diplomat reports that about 16 soldiers were murdered in a fierce war between irate youths who were at each other jugular in Delta state.
A press statement released by the Acting Director of Defense Information at the Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, revealed that 16 soldiers of troops of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, were killed while carrying out their peacekeeping mission in the two warring communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGA of Delta State.
Since the incident, Delta State has been in tension over a reprisal attack. A few days after the incident occurred reports emerged that troops invaded some communities in the area and launched a reprisal attack on residents.
However, the Army had debunked reports that its officers were planning to attack the people in Delta state. In a statement issued by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said there “will be no reprisal on the part of the troops”.
