Tension Rises in Okuama as Second Leader Dies in Military Custody

The Okuama community in Delta State’s Ughelli South Local Government Area is in turmoil following the death of its 81-year-old treasurer, Dennis Okugbaye, while in military detention. His death, announced by his son Pastor Akpos Okugbaye on Tuesday, has further inflamed the grief-stricken community, coming just six days after the death of their President-General, Pa James Oghoroko, under similar circumstances.

Both leaders were among several prominent Okuama figures detained by the military between August 18 and 20, 2024, following a March incident where 17 soldiers were killed during a peace mission aimed at resolving a boundary dispute between Okuama and the neighboring Okoloba community. The soldiers’ deaths triggered a military reprisal that left Okuama in ruins, forcing residents to flee to an internally displaced persons camp in Ewu Kingdom.

The deaths of Okuama leaders in custody have sparked widespread protests. Aggrieved youths and women have renewed their seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and military, demanding the release of all detained community members and the return of Pa Oghoroko’s body. Protesters have vowed to escalate their actions if their demands remain unmet, with one stating, “Let the soldiers and Tinubu come and kill us so that we know Okuama is wiped out entirely.”

Elder Ohwotake Otiero, speaking on behalf of the protesters, condemned the alleged torture and deaths of community leaders, calling for urgent intervention. “Why should our P-G be killed through torture? We will take the laws into our hands because we have been pushed to the wall,” he said.

Human rights organizations and civil society groups have added their voices to the growing outcry. At a joint press conference in Warri commemorating International Human Rights Day, advocacy groups led by Pastor Edewor Egedegbe of the Value Rebirth & Empower Initiative and Sir John Ebireri of the Ewu Clan Development Forum demanded accountability. They highlighted the prolonged detention of Okuama leaders without trial, describing it as a blatant violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

“These individuals have been in detention for over 113 days without any charges brought against them. This breaches democratic principles and the rule of law,” the groups stated. They called on President Bola Tinubu to order the immediate release of all detained Okuama leaders, investigate the deaths of Pa Oghoroko and Pa Okugbaye, and establish a commission of inquiry into the crisis.

The Urhobo Media Practitioners and Advocacy Group also criticized the military’s actions, calling them an affront to the dignity of Okuama residents. They urged international human rights organizations to intervene and called for an unbiased investigation into both the killing of the soldiers and the military’s subsequent reprisals.