Okuama: Tinubu, Nigerian Army, Release Prof. Ekpokpo Unconditionally Now

The continued military incarceration since August 2024 of Professor of Physics at the Delta State University Abraka, Arthur Ekpokpo and two others over March 14, 2024 killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama, Ughelli South LGA attests to the inhuman disposition of federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This ugly shame of a nation under Tinubu also marks another proof of how the Nigerian Army is only strong against the weak, spineless against the violent in our society and the 12.5 kilograms of gas selling for over 18,000 naira.

The killing of soldiers which resulted from their doubtful peace mission into Okuama remains unfortunate but we maintain that it must not be a guarantee for the army to engage in indefinite vengeful mission to punish everyone connected to Okuama village.

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This is an Army that in their own investigations have established that the real killers of the soldiers in Okuama were external forces led by a Niger-Delta militant and kingpin of an oil theft syndicate known to the military authorities.

This they established after a dreadful reprisal in which they invaded and destroyed Okuama, leaving an unverified number of defenseless residents dead and livelihood shattered in tacit ethnic cleansing.

Many months after, the military with all their claimed intelligence gathering skills have no clue as to where about of the said militant who led the killing of soldiers for allegedly disturbing his oil theft deals.

Instead it was an innocent Ewu Monarch they arrested and humiliated before releasing him. And not long after they have arrested erudite Prof Ekpokpo as though he is the prime suspect.

The only sin of the Professor is that he is President-General of Ewu Clan of Urhobo in Ughelli South which covers Okuama. He is not a direct indigene of Okuama. Besides what warrants the Army to hold a civilian indefinite in captivity when the Police has the constitutional primary duty to enforce the law against civilians.

Under which law are they being held for all this long by the Nigerian military? Is Nigeria still under military regime which rule by decrees? The Nigerian military doesn’t have constitutional mandate to detain civilians.

They should hand over to the police to investigate any offence they are alleged to have been committed and should be prosecuted in the law court. The role of the military is known and not to be involved in civilian matters.

As defined by Wikipedia.org,” The role of the Nigerian military is maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air. To suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order, when called upon to do so by the President, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an ACT of National Assembly”.

The Okuama crisis that was ignited by the killings of soldiers and Okuama people is regrettable. The questionable peace mission of the military to Okuama is confusing as there was no evidence of any peace meeting between Okuama community of Ughelli South LGA and Okoloba community of Bomadi LGA.

Who sent the soldiers on the questionable peace mission from Utorogu Gas plant where they guarded to Okuama community? In the questionable peace mission the police and DSS were not involved.

Is it the responsibility of the military to settle land disputes within communities if the military are not invited by the president or state governors or the police or the DSS?
Ukuama community has been burnt and their people killed.

I have not seen the ACT that gives the military the mandate to invade a peaceful community. I have not seen the ACT that gives the military authority to arrest civilians and detain them without handing them over to the police for prosecution in the law court?

Tinubu are you a military head of state or an elected president? Tinubu you claim to be a democrat but your action on Okuama is opposite of your role as the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Constitutionally the military have no authority to go to Okuama without being invited by the government or the police or the DSS. The idea of killing civilians is a severe war crime. The military was never set up to fight civilians. Is that how US and Russia are using their militaries to fight civilians?

The show of strength by President Tinubu and his military in harassing Okuama civilians and intimidating Ewu Clan leaders of Urhobo led by Prof Arthur Ekpokpo is condemnable. Tinubu, release Ekpokpo and fellow Ewu Urhobo Clan leaders languishing in the military prison.

All of these also expose that UPU under Ese Gam Owe is nothing to write home about. Ese Gam as PG UPU has failed. He is only interested in attending Urhobo social events in UK & US and of being an errand boy and bootlicker of Delta governor to the extent of going so low to congratulate Ifeanyi Okowa who is being investigated by EFCC for looting Delta’s treasury dry. Okowa is the best ally of UPU under Ese Gam. I am calling for his resignation with the entire UPU executive. Shameful.

On serious note Tinubu should release Prof Arthur Ekpokpo and all Okuama, indeed Ewu Clan detainees in military cells. If they have anything against them then they should hand them over to the Nigerian police to prosecute in the law court.

The indefinite detention of Prof Arthur Ekpokpo and co in the Nigerian military prison is an indication that Nigeria is not practicing democracy, that Tinubu’s APC led administration is worse than a military dictator like Idi Amin of Uganda who served between 1971 to 1979.

The further detention of these Ewu leaders without trial in the law court and killing of civilians in Ukuama and burning of Ukuama village is a war crime against humanity and genocide that the International Criminal Court in The Hague will frown at and address appropriately.

There is no country in the world that is practicing democracy that soldiers now detain civilians in military prisons without trial in the law courts by the police. Tinubu and his military have gone above military scope of operations in Okuama matter.

The soldiers have no reason to invade a peaceful community under a pretentious and questionable peace mission in a rural community of Okuama of Ughelli South in Delta state.

Tinubu and the Nigerian military cannot keep Prof Ekpokpo and co in confinement indefinitely why the prime suspect they have investigated and known is still working free. It is impunity taken too far.

Tinubu and the Nigerian Military would be held responsible should anything happen to Prof Ekpokpo and co.

Zik Gbemre
November 12, 2024

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