Groups Petition Buhari, IG over Extra-judicial Killings in Delta Oil Producing Community

By Kingsley Nwezeh

Two groups, Evwreni Progress Union and the Forum for Good Governance, Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, to order an investigation into the extra-judicial killings in Evwreni kingdom, an oil producing community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

At a press conference in Abuja, leaders of the groups led by Ugochukwu Ezekiel, said the kingdom had recorded killings and maiming of innocent people by a vigilante group known as “Bakasi Boys”.

He alleged that Okakor Omoghene, a promising youth of the community, was killed in cold blood by members of the vigilante group.

He said the immediate past Executive Director Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Engr Dr (Chief) Samuel Adjogbe, narrowly escaped assassination along the East/West Road close to the community.

“Also worrisome is the fact that 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.”

He stated that following the failed assassination attempt on Engr Dr Samuel Adjogbe, a team of policemen detailed from the Criminal Investigation Department Asaba stormed Evwreni to effect the arrest of a prime suspect.

Ugochukwu asserted that following several efforts to get the Police to throughly investigate the matter in the state without success, it decided to call on the president and the IG to intervene.

“The primary duty of government is to protect lives and property of her citizens. We therefore call upon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police and the Governor of Delta to ensure a thorough investigation into the death of Sylvester Adjogbe, Okakor Omoghene as well as others whom were allegedly killed or assaulted
by the group.

“Those assaulted include Oghenetero Omonigho, Yoruba Thankgod Ebruphiyor Uba, Anene Ogbe and Lukain Zana”, he said.

Evwreni Progress Union and Forum for Good Governance also called for the constitution of 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”, he said.