Okuama : Army Invades Another Delta Community, Arrests 10 Persons, Razes Homes
â˘Disband Army probe, institute judicial inquiry, SANs, retired judges tell FGâ˘Alternatively, direct Delta govt to set up a judicial commission of inquiryâ˘Fault CDS claim that JTF has a police component to investigate murderâ˘Allow villagers to retrieve the corpses of their deadâ˘Order military to vacate community; handover suspects to policeâ˘Time to call military to order âUrhobo Renaissance SocietyTroops of the Nigerian Army conducting a cordon-and-search operation over the March 14 killing of 17 military personnel at Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday invaded another community, Olota, and allegedly whisked away no fewer than 10 persons.This came on a day Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, and retired judges ripped apart the Board of Inquiry constituted by Defence Headquarters to investigate the March 14 killing of military personnel at Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government of Delta State, saying it had no powers to do so.the President-General of Olota, but an eyewitness said the military men left with the communityâs chairman, Matthew Olokpa, and over 10 others.He said: âThe over 200 soldiers entered Olota in three gunboats this morning (yesterday). They held the Chairman, Matthew Olokpa, Bigi Edjekpewhu, German Obiokute, Kenneth Okorodudu Atua, and others.âThe witness disclosed that the soldiers razed some houses in the community, 50 kilometres from Okuama, and took with them almost all the speedboats they sighted in the jetty.âGunshots roared in Olota today (yesterday); we ask those in authority to intervene and tell the soldiers to leave Olota in peace. They left with those apprehended, no fewer than 10 persons. They burnt Germanyâs house and two others and destroyed one.âThey also left with many speed boats at the jetty belonging to residents. They beat the community chairman to a stupor before they moved him with the others, along with a 75-engine-powered boat belonging to Kenneth. This latest crisis may not be connected with Okuama.âRecall that the army had visited the same community and others, including Arhavwarien, Orere, and Omosuomo, more than a week ago, searching for arms and ammunition snatched from the dead soldiers and fleeing suspects.Meanwhile, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, and retired judges have ripped apart the Board of Inquiry constituted by Defence Headquarters to investigate the March 14 killing of military personnel at Okuama in Chelli South Local Government of Delta State.They told the federal government that the correct thing to do was to institute a judicial commission of inquiry into the incident or ask Delta State government to set one up.The military panel, headed by Air Vice-Marshal David Ajayi, started sitting, Wednesday, in Warri. However, Okuama community, whose leaders and lawyer, said the displaced residents were hiding and suffering in the forests because of the cordon-and-search operation by the Army, rebuffed the hearing.But six representatives of Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area, whose boundary dispute with Okuama triggered the tragic episode, appeared before the Ajayi-led board of inquiry on Wednesday afternoon, while officials prevented reporters from covering the proceedings.Speaking to Vanguard, Olorogun Albert Akpomudje, SAN, and Life Bencher, former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko SAN, and retired President of the Delta State Area Customary Court, Miakpor Emiaso, said the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, did not have the power to set up a public inquiry into the Okuama incident.Olayiwola Afolabi, SAN, and Chief Magistrate E.O Eferakoro, retd., advised the federal government to order the Army to vacate Okuama.Army canât set up a public inquiryâAkpomudje, SANAkpomudje, the Otota (Prime Minister) of the ancient Olomu Kingdom in Delta State, said in his reaction: âA public inquiry will mean that members of the public will have access to go and say their mind because it is an inquiry. Is that what they have set up? The Chief of Defence Staff does not have those powers.âIt is unknown that an internal inquiry within the army cannot be open to the public? May be he can do that just to ascertain some facts.âHowever, an inquiry that will touch on how the whole scenario of the killings in Okuama happened is not a matter for the Army to do. We are asking the federal government to set up that inquiry. If not the federal government, then Delta State government.âNow, on the issue of whether the army has powers to do investigation, well, with the greatest respect, what investigation? Is the military going to investigate itself?âThat is why it is said that you cannot be a judge in your matter; they should leave that to either the federal or the state government to do.âWhen it comes to investigation, it is the police that will do it, independent of the component of the police force in the Joint Task Force, JTF, he is talking about a combined team of several security outfits, and does not have the jurisdiction and power to conduct the investigation.âArmy, a concerned party, canât institute inquiry âNwoko, SANUwemedimo Nwoko SAN, who spoke to Vanguard in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, said: âYes, 17 soldiers were killed, and the event that occurred was, of serious, consequence but the government should set up the board of inquiry, not the Army, to ensure transparency in that process, it is important.âThe government should set up the board of inquiry itself, not the military because it is an interested party. The Army is already a victim, so they cannot set it up.âWhatever the federal government is doing must abide by the rule of law. Whether it involves individuals, communities, civil security agencies, or the military, the important thing is that the government must work within the confines of the rule of law.âSo much damage has been done in that community, the government should engage the survivors. It should be able to stop the security pressure from the situation that occurred.âSecondly, it should find out the extent of damage, how many people have lost their lives, because it was not the militants that killed the soldiers that are suffering; it is innocent people that suffered the brunt that escalated on their heads.âThe government, particularly to manage the environment, should find out how many people died and see what procedure can be adopted to ensure that the place is sanitized.âIndependent body should conduct probeâEmiaso, ex-president, customary court.In Delta State, retired President of the Delta State Area Customary Court, Miakpor Emiaso, said: âIt is not about constitution, we are talking about fairness, canons of natural justice that you cannot be a judge in your case.âIf Defence Headquarters sets up a panel, the panel will have allegiance to Defence Headquarters which may have an overbearing influence over such a panel. Therefore, the outcome of the efforts of that panel would be suspect. We may not get an objective result from the efforts.âWe have suggested that since the military are the ones that are primarily affected by this dastardly act, they should allow an independent body to carry out the investigation.âThe military should hand suspects to police âAfolabi, SANReacting to the military board of inquiry, Edo-based Olayiwola Afolabi, SAN, asserted: âThe federal government should order the military to vacate the place immediately, they should leave the place, they have no right to take over the community. It is wrong.âThe Inspector General of Police should be empowered to take over all arrested suspects, so they can be investigated and then be prosecuted.âThe Attorney General of the Federation has the power to order the military to disband that panel; we are not in a banana republic.âWhat the military has done in setting up a board is wrong, it is unlawful because the people concerned are not military officers, it is criminal, you must go to the regular court, there is a Supreme Court decision on this matter, you can only do this if the people involved are military.âVillagers should recover corpses of their dead â Chief Magistrate Eferakoro, retd,Retired Chief Magistrate E.O Eferakoro told Vanguard in Warri: âWhat the army did cannot be right, they cannot be a judge in their case. The army has questions to answer, so they should leave the investigation to a neutral body like the police.âThe position of the law is that if they do not see dead bodies, it means nobody is missing. Do they have the number of people living in Okuama? You cannot accuse somebody of murder if you cannot bring the physical body. Therefore, if they announced a figure, they should produce the number of dead bodies in a tally. The army is aware of this.âThe premise that the people of Okuama are victims of state malevolence is now glaring to all with the conflicting utterances coming from the peak of the military high command. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has offered four different narratives on the Okuama incident.âFor more information and contents like thisFollow me for more...