CDS Orders Probe Of Okuama Leaders’ Death In Army Custody

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has ordered a probe into the deaths of two Okuama community leaders, Pa James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, while in detention of the Nigerian Army.

TORI reported that Okuama’s President-General, Pa James Oghoroko, and the 81-year-old community’s treasurer, Dennis Okugbaye, died in army custody within six days intervals.

The military detained Oghoroko and Okugbaye alongside four others, Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Belvis Adogbo, Mabel Owhemu, and Dennis Malaka, during a military operation between August 18 and 20, 2024.

The arrests occurred months after 17 soldiers on a peace mission to resolve a dispute between Okuama and the neighbouring Okoloba community were killed on March 14, 2024.

The deaths of the two leaders in military detention have triggered outrage within Okuama, as youths and women in the community had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to release the detained leaders and return Pa Oghoroko’s body.

Speaking on the issue during the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee end-of-year briefing, the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau stated that the Chief of Defence Staff had directed the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army to investigate the allegations and submit a report by Monday.

He said, “Regarding allegations of deaths in detention over the weekend, headlines surfaced suggesting that individuals detained in connection with the Okuama incident had died.

“Immediately, the CDS directed an investigation to be conducted by the 6 Division. Any moment from now, we expect the findings on whether the claims are true or not. For now, these remain allegations.

“We are committed to uncovering the truth, and by tomorrow, we will have more details.”