The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the murders of two Okuama community leaders, Pa James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, who were in Army custody.
The Okuama community’s President-General, Oghoroko, and its treasurer, 81-year-old Okugbaye, reportedly died six days apart after being captured by the military.
The two, together with four others — Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Mrs. Mabel Owhemu, and Mr. Dennis Malaka — were apprehended during a military operation from August 18 to 20, 2024.
The arrests came after 17 troops were killed on March 14, 2024, during a peace mission to resolve a conflict between Okuama and the nearby Okoloba community.
Speaking on the topic for the first time, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, revealed that the Chief of Defence Staff has asked the Nigerian Army’s 6th Division to examine the claims and report by Monday.
Speaking during the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee end-of-year briefing, Gusau 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.”
