THE Delta State Police Command has handed over the traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, to the military.
Both the commissioner and the state public relations officer, Bright Edafe, confirmed the development to newsmen, on Friday, March 29.
The monarch surrendered himself to the police on Thursday, March 28, shortly after he was declared wanted by the military over the killing of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community in the state.
He was said to have arrived at the police command headquarters at exactly 6:41 pm.
The monarch, while speaking with newsmen before he turned himself in, denied allegations of being involved in the killing of the soldiers, noting that it was against his Catholic belief.
“I am very surprised that my name as the monarch of the kingdom will appear in the list of wanted persons. I have no hand in the killings, I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody, it is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic.
“It is a serious crime against humanity and they need to look at the appropriate places and do a thorough investigation to know all those who have committed this and bring them to book and let justice prevail.
“I am not a party to this, and like I said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through. As I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite the opponents recently just before these happenings,” he had said.
On Thursday, March 28, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters declared eight persons, including the monarch, wanted in connection with the killing of four officers and 13 soldiers on March 14, 2024, in Okuama.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, during a press conference in Abuja urged Nigerians, particularly those living in Delta and neighbouring states, to provide the military with reliable information to aid in the arrest of the eight people who are allegedly responsible for the soldiers’ death.
Buba reiterated the military’s resolve to free all victims kidnapped and abducted in Nigeria.
He added that the military was committed to apprehending the soldiers’ killers.
The announcement was made public a few hours after President Bola Tinubu and other dignitaries witnessed the soldiers’ funeral at the National Military Cemetery on Wednesday, March 27.
The ICIR reported that Tinubu awarded scholarships and houses to the slain soldiers’ children and families.
Tinubu led governors, federal lawmakers, military high echelons, government functionaries, relatives, and friends of the soldiers and officers to the funeral.
The soldiers were said to be on a peace mission to the warring towns of Okuama and Okoloba when they were attacked.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M