Nigerian Army Probes Death In Custody Of Okuama Leaders

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has ordered a full investigation into the deaths of two Okuama community leaders, Pa James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, who died while in the custody of the Nigerian Army.

Oghoroko, the President-General of Okuama, and Okugbaye, the 81-year-old treasurer of the community, passed away within six days of each other while being detained by the military.

The two men were arrested along with four others—Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Belvis Adogbo, Mabel Owhemu, and Dennis Malaka—during a military operation that took place between August 18 and 20, 2024. Their arrests occurred weeks after 17 soldiers were killed during a peacekeeping mission between Okuama and the nearby Okoloba community in March 2024.

The deaths of Oghoroko and Okugbaye have sparked anger and protests within the Okuama community. Local youths and women have demanded that the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army release the detained individuals and return Oghoroko’s body. They issued a seven-day ultimatum for action.

During a recent briefing, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information, confirmed that the Chief of Defence Staff had instructed the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army to conduct an investigation into the deaths. He stated, “Regarding the allegations of deaths in detention, headlines surfaced suggesting that individuals detained in connection with the Okuama incident had died. The CDS immediately directed the 6th Division to investigate and report back by Monday.”

Gusau added, “We are committed to uncovering the truth, and by tomorrow, we expect to have more details. For now, these remain allegations.”

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