Justice for Okuama detainees

Two years have passed since the dark clouds of the Okuama tragedy gathered over the creeks of Delta State. The brutal ambush and killing of 17 Nigerian Army personnel in March 2024 was a national catastrophe that no civilised society should tolerate. It sparked a military reprisal that levelled Okuama, with many detained.

In the immediate aftermath, the Delta State Government, under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, moved with commendable speed to douse the fires of military vengeance. By establishing an Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp at Ewu and mediating between a wounded military and a shell-shocked community, the state government sought to bridge a chasm of blood and distrust. 

We find it deeply troubling that we are still discussing the extra-judicial detention of Okuama’s leaders in 2026. Despite multiple orders from the Federal High Court for the military to produce these individuals for trial— Professor of Physics, Arthur Ekpekpo; Ewu Development Union President, Belvis Adogbo; Dennis Amalaka and Mabel Ohwemu—the Armed Forces have maintained a wall of silence. The reported death of James Oghoroko in custody is a sore that cannot heal.

Let us be clear: the Nigerian Armed Forces are an appendage of constitutional authority. Though the military operates its own justice subsystem, it is strictly for military personnel, not civilians. It is still under our Constitution. To detain citizens indefinitely, in defiance of court warrants, is an act of military impunity that belongs to a bygone era of khaki-clad dictators. It is a subversion of the very democracy these soldiers took an oath to protect.

We call on President Bola Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief, to intervene immediately. The “no election” ultimatum issued by the Okuama community has a deeper symbolism—a feeling that they have been treated as outcasts in their own country. We implore the president to direct the military to hand over these detainees to the Nigeria Police or the appropriate judicial authorities.

If there is evidence of their involvement in the 2024 killings, let it be tested in the hallowed chambers of a court, not in the darkness of a military dungeon. Continued detention will not bring back the fallen heroes; it only erodes the moral high ground of the state. 

Finally, a word of caution to the citizenry: the ghosts of Odi and Zaki Biam still haunt our history. The Okuama experience is a harsh reminder that when the uniform is desecrated, the consequences are often indiscriminate and devastating for the innocent. We must respect those who stand in the gap for our security.

However, the state’s response to crime must always be measured by the yardstick of justice. Anything less is not a victory for security but a defeat for the law. Allow the law to take its course; it is the only way to achieve true closure.  

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