BURUTU/Nigeria: In a shocking turn of events, Okpokunou community in the Burutu local government area of Delta state has been plunged into chaos as two families face ex-communication following the arrest of two murder suspects by the Department of State Services (DSS). The suspects are linked to the extra-judicial killing of the late Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbosain, who was allegedly murdered on the orders of the former community chairman, Mr. Tokekeme Egbouke. The incident was purportedly a response to accusations of stealing community property on May 2nd, 2023.
The aftermath of the arrest has seen family members of the victim hastily packing their belongings onto motorbikes and tricycles, seeking refuge in neighboring communities. The current Okpokunou community chairman, Mr. Jonathan Amakubukuro Fiemotonghan, officially announced the excommunication during a general meeting held on Thursday, with the decree disseminated through the community information house’s sound system on Friday morning.
According to reports from our sources, the excommunication is a repercussion of arrests made by the DSS on suspects implicated in the extra-judicial murder of Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbosain. The arrested individuals were subsequently handed over to the police command in Asaba, the capital of Delta state.
Our on-the-ground reporter has witnessed several indigenes of Okpokunou left homeless, seeking shelter in neighboring Ijaw communities. This mass displacement follows the arrest of the murder suspects and the subsequent ex-communication order issued against two families.
The tragic sequence of events began with the accusation of Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbosain stealing community property, leading to a fatal beating ordered by the community chairman. Following his demise, the community chairman directed the removal of the corpse from Bomadi General Hospital’s morgue, giving it a shallow burial. Shockingly, the corpse was later exhumed and disposed of in a river, left for aquatic creatures to consume.
In response to these heinous actions, the Ogbosan family, through their lawyer, submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Delta state and copied the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abuja. The petition urged authorities to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the gruesome act.
Attempts by the Okpokunou town police to make arrests were thwarted by the suspects, who disarmed the police and humiliated the officers, cautioning them to refrain from the matter or face dire consequences.
In a significant development, the police sought assistance from the Army in Bomadi, a few kilometers away from Okpokunou. The community chairman, Mr. Tokekeme Egbouke, attempting to flee, was arrested by the Army. Despite failed attempts to secure his release, Egbouke remains in police detention.
The arrest of the community chairman triggered a violent response from the arrested mastermind’s family members, leading to physical assaults, torture, and the destruction of property valued at over N200 million belonging to the victim’s family.
Confirming the excommunication order, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Edafe Bright, assured the public that the police are aware of the developments in Okpokunou community. He emphasized that the law would prevail, with suspects in police custody facing trial, and additional arrests anticipated to restore law and order in the community and other parts of the state.
