OKUAMA CRISIS: ERHUVWU CLUB OF NIGERIA, ASABA BRANCH, CALLS FOR JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

Erhuvwu Club of Nigeria, Asaba, is a non-political elite club of Urhobo indigenes whose goal is to promote the socio-cultural values of Urhobo nationality. Its membership cuts across the twenty four Urhobo
Kingdoms.
The club, like other Nigerians, was jolted by the killing of seventeen military personnel on March 14th, 2024 at Okuama; a riverine Urhobo community of Ewu Kingdom
in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The club condemns unequivocally and in the strongest of terms, the killings and commiserates with the Federal Government, military authority and the affected families of the deceased over the dastardly act.
The prelude to this incident is alleged dispute over land boundary issues between Okuama and Okoloba
communities. This in our opinion, is strange because both communities along with another Ijaw community of Akugbene have lived peacefully as neighbours for centuries.
It was reported that the military carried out reprisal attacks against Okuama community by laying siege
which culminated in the killing, displacement of indigenes, massive destruction of properties, declaration
of some persons wanted and eventual detention of His
Royal Majesty, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, the King of Ewu Kingdom.

The Club is shocked by this
development and seriously frowns at the excessive use of power by the military. Our hearts go out to the people of Okuama and we condole with them over the onslaught.
In the midst of the perplexing contradictions on the cause
of the crisis. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) substantially cleared the air when he confirmed, in a live
TV programme, that the killers of the soldiers are known militants, bunkerers and cultists. These renegades cannot be equated to the entire Okuama community to warrant
the military action on it.

In all of these narratives, we observe as follows:
a. That the President has decorated the slayed military personnel with National Honours, offered scholarships and houses to their families. This is very commendable .
b. That the declaration of eight persons as wanted was
inappropriate.
c. That the King of Ewu has voluntarily presented himself to the police authority not minding the
inappropriateness of his being declared wanted. This
is also commendable.
d. That the Defense Headquarters has set up a Board of Inquiry on the matter . This again is inappropriate as
the military cannot investigate itself and the civilian populace is usually wary of appearing before a
military panel.

The club therefore proposes as follows:
a. The immediate and total withdrawal of the military
from Okuama community.
b. The return of law abiding Okuama indigenes to their community.
c. The immediate commencement of the distribution of relief materials to indigenes of Okuama community
by appropriate government agencies

d. The rehabilitation and re-building of Okuama community by the Federal government.
e. The immediate release of the traditional ruler of Ewu
Kingdom by The military.
f. The military should be more professional and compliant with their rules of engagement in dealing
with the civilian populace.
g. The Okuama community and indeed any other community that has intelligence on the crisis should share same with the appropriate government agency, which is the police.

We therefore strongly recommend that the Federal Government should set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry as a matter of urgency to unravel all the facts relating, incidental and ancillary to the Okuama crisis and disband the Military Board of Inquiry forthwith.

Sir David Ashe Onokpe

Permanent Secretary (Rtd)

President

Smart E. Edoge, Esq.
Secretary