Residents of Otulu Ogwashi-Uku have thanked the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for setting up the Commission of Inquiry to investigate issues of land grabbing, dealing with Otulu Ogwashi as one of the issues within their terms of reference.
Recall that the commission recently concluded its sittings.
Members of the community also urged the public to disregard the misleading negative reports circulating about their community.
They asserted that any so-called security crisis is a deliberately orchestrated scheme by vested interests, including senior government officials, to achieve ulterior motives which include dispossessing the community of land.
According to the Community Secretary, Mr. Afam Precious, Otulu Ogwashi-Uku had enjoyed peace and stability following the declaration by the Delta State Security Council two years ago that one Francis Oduwanor was wanted for illegally imposing himself as the traditional ruler of the community.
He said that subsequently, Oduwanor allegedly fled the community after the declaration, while several others were apprehended and charged by the Director of Public Prosecutions of Delta State before the Delta State High Court.
He said despite the gravity of their offenses, the trajectory of justice took an alarming turn.
He said a senior official from the office of the Deputy Governor allegedly intervened, writing to the Attorney General of Delta State to request the release of these individuals from custody.
He added that this was despite their ongoing trials and remand in the Federal Correctional Center in Ogwashi-Uku.
Against all expectations, the suspects were released, a move that immediately reignited unrest in the community, he claimed.
Mr. Precious said prior to their release, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku had written to the Governor on March 7, 2024, alerting him of the potential consequences of releasing individuals known to have caused security challenges in Otulu, saying that these alerts were tragically realized as violence erupted soon after their release.
“Their sole goal is to manufacture a crisis to support their illegal claim for autonomy and implicate the legitimate traditional leadership of the community. They also want to take our land,” Mr. Precious lamented.
Diokpa Monye, a respected elder in the community, corroborated this account, noting that the security challenges resurfaced following their release.
He praised the Inspector General of Police for deploying officers from Abuja to conduct a thorough investigation lasting several weeks, which culminated in the filing of charges last month against Oduwanor and twelve others in custody.
The suspects, and others who remain at large, are now facing serious allegations, including murder, rape, armed robbery, and grievous harm under Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/566/2024 at the Federal High Court Abuja.
Reliable police sources revealed that a senior government official has been lobbying for the release of Oduwanor, a move that has left law enforcement officials in Abuja baffled and concerned.
“It’s shocking to receive calls to release someone who has been duly investigated and charged with such serious crimes,” one source disclosed on condition of anonymity.
Community elders in Otulu Ogwashi-Uku have appealed to the Governor to intervene and halt the brazen interference by land grabbers and complicit government officials.
They accused these actors of manufacturing chaos to lobby for an illegal autonomy for separatists in the community whose purpose is to grab land illegally.
The elders also commended the Governor for establishing a Commission of Inquiry to address these issues, expressing confidence that their evidence and testimony before the commission would ensure justice prevails.
“We await the findings of the Commission with hope,” one elder remarked.
“This is an opportunity to restore peace and expose the nefarious intentions of those seeking to destabilize our community for personal gain,” he said.
The unfolding situation in Otulu Ogwashi-Uku raises serious questions about the intersection of vested interests and governance, highlighting the need for swift and decisive action to uphold the rule of law and maintain peace in the state.
