The Inspector-General of Police has been petitioned to order a thorough probe and prosecution of persons accused of maiming and murdering youth of Ewreni community in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State.
The petition was made by some civil rights activists under the umbrella of the Forum for Good Governance (FGG) and Evwreni Progress Union, who addressed a press conference in Abuja Tuesday to lament the reluctance of Delta State police command to prosecute in particular the alleged killers of Mr. Sylvester Ajogbe.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the Convener of FGG, Barrister Ugochukwu Ezekiel, said that the gruesome murder of Ajogbe was the latest in the atrocities against the youth of the community by a vigilante group, the Bakassi Boys, constituted by the community’s monarch, HRM Oghenekevwe Kumane.
The activists said that many
petitions had been written to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State and the Inspector-General of Police, yet some highly placed individuals were working hard to ensure that the matter was swept under the carpet while the gruesome murder of innocent citizens continued in the community.
According to them: “We are aware that the whole crisis lies with the Ovie of Evwreni
Kingdom, HRM Oghenekevwe Kumane, Eruwedede III, who is alleged to have through his personally installed Vigilante Group unleashed terror and multiple killings on his very own people.
“As shocking as this may
sound, it has been voiced in some quarters of the community that the
crisis is connected with the King’s quest for revenge over the death
of his father, the deceased HRM Owin Kumane, Eruvwedede II.
“We gathered that on the 22nd of March 2020, Okakor Omoghene, a
promising youth of the community, was killed in cold blood by members of the Vigilante Group on the firm support of the king.
“Despite several reports of the incident to the Police
(Ughelli ‘A’ Division), no arrest or investigation had been made. Till
date the corpse of the deceased is still nowhere to be found.”
The FGG also recalled the recent assassination attempt on the immediate past Executive Director, Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Engr Samuel Adjogbe, along the East/West Road, just a stone-throw from the community, and the inability of the police to arrest the alleged prime suspect, one Atiri Stephen.
The FGG added that “the King, HRM Oghenekevwe Kumane issued a death order to his Vigilante (Bakassi) group against any member of the Adjogbe family
found within the community.
“It was in executing the evil order that another promising youth, 34 years old Sylvester Adjogbe, was found dead in his father’s compound in Evwreni”, allegedly killed by leaders of the vigilante group.
The Evwreni Progress Union said it had been failed by the police authorities in Delta State in the quest for justice and “we therefore call upon President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector-General
of Police and the Governor of Delta to ensure:
“1. A thorough investigation into the death of Sylvester Adjogbe,
Okakor Omoghene as well as others whom have been killed or assaulted by the King’s Vigilante (Bakassi) group.
“Those assaulted include:
Oghenetero Omonigho, Yoruba Thankgod (09075882401), Ebruphiyor Uba (08064368553), Anene Ogbe (08064838589) and Lukain Zana.
“2. Constitute an enquiry into the circumstances leading to the escape of Stephen Atiri, a suspect who evaded arrest undertaken by trained police officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Asaba.
“Evwreni presently sits on a keg of gun powder and if nothing urgent is
done, we fear for the lives and properties of the people of that
Community. We urge the Police to act fast as a stitch in time, they
say, saves nine.”
