LAGOS DECEMBER 10TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Tension is brewing in Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government, Delta State, as residents, yesterday, protested continue detention of their leaders by the Nigerian Army.

The protest was coming on the backdrop of the reported death of the president general of the community, Pa James Oghoroko, in a military facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The residents, who took to street on Sunday and continued the protest on yesterday, gave the Federal Government and Nigerian Army seven-day ultimatum to release the detained leaders or they would resort to self-help.

They condemned the circumstances surrounding the death of their PG, and continued detention without trial of five other leaders of the community.

They vowed to block the Niger River at the expiration of the ultimatum to press home their grievance, saying the late President General was arrested alongside Prof Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Dennis Okugbaye, Dennis Malaka, Madam Mabel and one other between August 18 and 20, 2024 and had remained in unknown detentions since.

Leader of the protesters, Elder Ohwotake Otiero, told newsmen in Urhobo language: “I am very angry today. We have been thrown into mourning because of the news that Oghoroko died in military detention.

“We want to take it as a rumour, but if it is true, the government should know that they are in trouble. We will not accept to be treated as aliens in our own country.

“We want the corpse and those detained to be release immediately. We will take the laws into our hands because we have been pushed to the wall. Why should our PG be killed through torture?

“After the seven days, this river will be blocked. Let the soldiers come and kill us so that we know that Okuama is wiped out entirely.”

Women leader, Maria Adams, said: “We are highly annoyed to hear that our PG is dead in the military detention. What did he do? Someone who never did anything but was arrested and now he is dead.

“We are thrown into mourning, we want President Bola Tinubu to tell us if we are still Nigerians. What is Okuama crime to warrant this treatment?

“We want our leaders to be released immediately. We have been pushed

Evuarherhe Joseph, another weman leader: “The Federal Government and its army have been treating us as if we are not Nigerians. Now that they have killed our PG, we want all the arrested Okuama people to be freed within seven days if not they will hear from us.

“Okuama was razed, but that’s not enough and now they are killing our leaders. We will not take this. We will block the river after seven days.”

Community leader, Jacob Akemor, asked: “Is the Nigerian Army above the law? How can you abduct people without taking them to court? Is that the Nigerian law? Now, our PG is dead, others as we hear are terribly sick.

“Within seven days, we want all of them to be released. We have suffered enough and the government should act to avert unrest. Is there a collusion that everyone is now against Okuama?

“Okuama has been destroyed, our leaders are now dying in military detention. We are mourning now and we want an end to this oppression.”

Roseline Okumagba, a protester said: “This is a sad time in our community, our innocent PG has killed. We want the others to be released immediately if not we take action by ourselves.

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