Delta Community Demands Probe As Thugs Attack Residents, Injure Police Officers

• Arrested Criminals Confess

The crisis raging in the Ogbeozoma community of Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, has taken a dramatic turn with reports of a criminal attack that injured security personnel.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, July 22, and the hoodlums were said to be led by Chinedu Okeke, aka Ekwe-Ogidi.

Chinedu Okeke, the Managing Director of Ekwe Ogidi Integrated Resources Limited, is also said to be the CEO of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Asaba.

Several calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages sent to Delta State Police Command Spokesperson, Bright Edafe, for a response were not returned.

A statement issued by the community on Thursday, obtained by journalists, urged Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene immediately and ensure that the investigation into the heinous crimes was not jeopardised in any way.

The statement, signed by Diokpa Egwuagu Joseph Aninye, Diokpa Isi of Okpanam/Ogbe-Ozoma, Ikejiani 1 Okpanam, and Chief Felix Okafor on behalf of Ogbeozoma Quarters, demanded that the perpetrators be thoroughly investigated and charged in court where a prima facie case could be established.

The statement reads, “The peaceful community of Ogbeozoma, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State was invaded by deadly criminal gangs who were heavily armed to the teeth with all forms of prohibited firearms, led by one Chinedu Okeke, a.k.a. Ekwe-Ogidi, in the early hours of July 22, 2024.

“During this bloody attack on the peaceful community of Ogbeozoma, security agents on duty were not spared, as police officers on duty were brutally shot with live ammunition, while some civilians were equally brutally assaulted, and properties worth billions of naira were completely destroyed with earth moving equipment brought along by the assailants for the swift execution of their deadly and nefarious mission.

“However, these criminals’ luck ran out when they were overpowered by the superior powers of the well-trained police officers on duty, who succeeded in disarming and arresting a number of these criminal gang members, as well as all of the vehicles and earth-moving equipment used in the said deadly operation, as shown in the attached photos.

“Those arrested are currently providing useful information to the Asaba Delta State Police Headquarters, while two police officers who were fatally injured during this deadly attack are being treated in an undisclosed hospital.”

“Ekwe-Ogidi, the ringleader of these assailants, narrowly escaped from the crime scene and is now attempting to use all of his high-powered contacts within the Police High Command to avoid arrest.

“This will be the second time Chinedu Okeke, also known as Ekwe-Ogidi, and his gangs have brutally attacked the peaceful community of Ogbeozoma. Their penultimate attack occurred at ungodly hours of the night and resulted in the deaths of four security agents, whose bodies are still being held in the mortuary while police investigate the case, prior to this latest bloody attack, which nearly claimed the lives of two brave police officers.

“This is an appropriate time for the Nigeria Police Force to take a bold step and direct an unbiased/thorough investigation into the criminal activities of Chinedu Okeke, who is regarded as a sacred cow in the Asaba metropolis; he must certainly account for his evil deeds, and the time has come.

“We are sending this SOS to the Inspector General of Police to order a thorough investigation into these heinous crimes, even as Ekwe-Ogidi works feverishly to retrieve all vehicles and sophisticated weapons, including caterpillars, recovered from the assailants during this bloody attack from the Delta State Police Command Headquarters.

“The time has come for the Police High Command to investigate Ekwe-Ogidi and, if a prima facie case is established against him, subject him to the full force of the law; otherwise, he will continue to launch bloody attacks on the peaceful community of Ogbeozoma.

“Chinedu Okeke alias Ekwe-Ogidi, who purports to have been engaged by Ogbeozoma’s neighbouring community known as Iseeee-Azagba, to flush out the people of the Ogbeozoma community from their ancestral land/home and take over their lands, is using every contacts at his disposal, including his contacts with high echelon of security commands, in deploying all arsenals at his disposal to completely annihilate the entire Ogbeozoma community; it does not matter to Ekwe-Ogidi a

“According to the Ogbeozoma community, the Okpanam people donated the land on which the Issele-Azagba people now live. This fact is supported by His Lordship Hon. Justice M. Umukoro’s decision in Suit No: A/12/86: GILBERT IGWEONWU (for himself and on behalf of the Amachai family of Okpanam) Vs. OKAFOR NWANENE & 4 ORS (for themselves and on behalf of members of the Ogbe-Utu Community of Issele-Azagba), delivered on June 28, 2000.

“The Akpoma Quarters of Issele-Azagba, who are also beneficiaries of the said judgement, were given land adjacent to the Ogbeozoma community’s land by the Ogbeozoma Quarters of Okpanam, where they live and farm as customary tenants.

“The Ogbeozoma community is now living and occupying their ancestral land, which has been clearly demarcated by the aforementioned judgement, until Ekwe-Ogidi, a notorious lang grabber, was procured to unleash mayhem and displace the Ogbeozoma community, an evil endeavour that he has yet to complete despite his desperate and lethal efforts.

“We once again call on the Executive Governor of Delta State and the Inspector General of Police to intervene immediately to ensure that the investigation into these heinous crimes is not jeopardised in any way. We want this matter thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators charged in court once a prima facie case is established.