The household of the 81-year-old Pa Dennis Okugbaye, the treasurer of the Okuama group within the Ughelli South Native Authorities Space of Delta State, who died in army detention on December 10, 2024, have defined the circumstances surrounding his dying.
The revelation got here because the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori and the army authorities have but to make a press release six days after Pa Okugbaye died.
Household sources, who didn’t need their names talked about for safety causes, informed our correspondent that they paid N140,000 for gasoline to the army to hold their sick father from Port Harcourt to Asaba.
The PUNCH gathered that Pa Okugbaye was being transported from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by the army officers to 63 Brigade, Asaba, Delta State, when he allegedly died.
“We had been informed that our father could be very sick and we must always ship N140,000 to purchase gasoline to move him to Asaba in order that we (the household) can take him to hospital.
“We despatched the cash and had been informed to return to 63 Brigade, Asaba to obtain our father on Monday, December 9. They warned us that solely his daughter would obtain him.
“On Monday morning, we got here to Asaba, then our sister moved to the army barrack, 63 Brigade, Asaba, to obtain him however she was there until round 5 pm, no sign. We knowledgeable a few of our leaders, together with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, of the event.
“We went again dwelling, it was on Tuesday once we had been calling to know the following step that we had been informed that our father died on the street after they had been about to return,” the sources mentioned.
They added that to this point, the army authority or the governor had not referred to as them over the event.
Pa Okugbaye’s dying got here barely per week after the dying of the group President Basic, Pa James Oghoroko, in army detention.
The group leaders, Pa Oghoroko (now deceased), Pa Okugbaye (now deceased), Prof Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Mrs Mabel Owhemu and Mr Dennis Malaka, had been, between August 18 and 20, 2024, arrested by the military and had been saved incommunicado in detention with out trial.
Their arrests adopted the killing of 17 troopers on a peace mission to resolve the tussle between Okuama and Okoloba communities on March 14, 2024.
Efforts to succeed in the Commissioner for Info, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Festus Ahon, failed as calls and messages despatched to them weren’t responded to as of the time of submitting this report.
A social critic, Mr Zik Gbemre, berated Oborevwori for his failure to name the military to order.
In a press release made out there to journalists on Sunday, Gbemre mentioned the reported dying of two leaders of the Okuama group in army detention and the worry for the lives of 4 others nonetheless being held unlawfully uncovered the worsening institutional failures.
“Oborevwori shying away from his obligation to name the military to order in gross abuse of energy within the state could be very unhealthy and shameful because the chief safety officer of the state.
“Within the final couple of days, what is occurring in Delta is appalling, very shameful and inciting,” he mentioned.
