The deaths of James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, prominent leaders of the Okuama community, while in military custody, raise grave human rights concerns and demand urgent accountability.
Deaths of Okuama Leaders in Military Custody Spark Urgent Call for Accountability and Human Rights Reform
Development Diaries reports that the people of Okuama community in the Ughelli South area of Delta State recently announced the demise of their 81-year-old treasurer, Okugbaye, in military detention.
According to media reports, Okugbaye’s demise comes barely six days after the community’s President-General, Oghoroko, reportedly died in similar circumstances in military detention.
Recall that this development is happening after a crisis escalated on 14 March when 17 soldiers, including Colonel Abdullahi Hassan Alli, were gruesomely murdered in Okuama, after a prolonged dispute between Okuama and Okoloba.
The Nigerian Army had, in retaliation, raided and demolished parts of the community, declaring it a military zone and restricting access, and Oghoroko and Okugbaye and four other community leaders were arrested in a step to investigate the deaths of the military officials.
Both individuals were detained without trial, in direct violation of their constitutional rights to liberty and a fair hearing.
There have been allegations of severe torture and inhumane detention conditions leading to their deaths, which the Nigerian army has been silent on.
It further highlights the Nigerian army’s failure to uphold international standards on the treatment of detainees, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
These incidents reveal systemic abuse and demand accountability from state institutions responsible for safeguarding human rights.
The military undermines public trust and appears complicit in human rights violations by failing to address these deaths or providing transparency on the treatment of the detained Okuama leaders.
The lack of responsiveness from the army’s spokesperson and the Ministry of Defence exemplifies a culture of impunity that perpetuates state abuse.
According to media reports, the community residents staged a protest and issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian Army to release all of the arrested leaders.
The community’s demand for accountability, including the return of the deceased’s bodies, is not just a call for justice but a plea for the restoration of basic human dignity.
In light of these grave human rights abuses, Development Diaries calls on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, to urgently initiate an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of Oghoroko and Okugbaye in military custody.
The findings must be made public, and those responsible for any misconduct held accountable to restore public trust.
We also demand that all remaining detained Okuama leaders are either immediately released or charged in a court of law, in accordance with constitutional guarantees of liberty and fair trial.
Finally, the Nigerian Army must respond to allegations of torture and inhumane treatment of detainees, ensuring compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Photo source: FIJ
