One person was allegedly shot over the botched annual conference of the Okpare community in Olomu Kingdom of the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The victim, John Ogedegbe, was allegedly shot by a member of the Vigilante Group drafted to support military personnel earlier deployed to prevent the conference from holding on Thursday.
Also, no fewer than eight community youths and a woman were arrested while protesting the military takeover of their community town hall.
Ogedegbe, who was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment, was later arrested by police from Ekpan police station and is currently being detained.
The President General of Okpare-Olomu, Mr. Okiemute Otaka, confirmed the shooting of Ogedegbe and the arrest of eight protesters.
Otaka said the protesters were peacefully protesting the military takeover of the community town hall, which was the venue of the annual conference, when they were arrested by police operatives drafted from Otu-Jeremi Police Divisional Headquarters.
They were still being detained at the Otu-Jeremi Police Station at the time of filing this report.
The President General gave the names of those arrested to include David Ogodogu, Wealth, Ebruphiyo Alfred, Andrew Iruoga, Ogaga and Alex Orgi.
He added that John Ogedegbe, who sustained a bullet injury, is being held at the Ekpan police station.
Otaka, however, debunked reports that there was a court order stopping the annual conference, stressing that it was illegal to use security agencies to stop the highest decision-making body.
“The annual conference is the highest-making body of Okpare-Olomu in Olomu Kingdom. There’s no court cancelling the conference. It’s at the conference that we present our stewardship and achievements to the people.
“Those against the conference are those who do not want us to give reports of community land illegally sold. This is the reason behind the crisis. We are after peace, and we’ll do everything to ensure we protect the interest of our people. The letter sent to me by the local government was not an order but a request letter,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Ughelli South LGA of Delta State, Dr. Lucky Avweromre, has reacted to the crisis in the Okpare community.
Avweromre in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Local Government, Olorogun Ewenede J.A., said the military and other security agencies were deployed to the communities to maintain peace and order.
The statement read, “To say that the military invades Okpare is untrue; they were in Okpare to ensure compliance with the local government chairman’s order to postpone the community conference scheduled for December 26, 2024.
“The conference was postponed due to a court-ordered restraint prohibiting community meetings pending court proceedings. The Ughelli South Local Government Council, led by Chairman Hon. Lucky I. Avweromre PhD, (JP), requested the postponement to maintain peace and stability in the community.
“The presence of the security agencies, the police, the NSCDC, the army, and the VGN was aimed at preventing any potential defiance of the chairman’s order and ensuring a peaceful resolution. It’s essential to correct the misleading information and provide an accurate account of the events.”
In reaction to the botched conference, over 1000 women on Friday protested at the palace of Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, condemning the deployment of military and other security agencies to stop the annual conference of the community.
The protesting woman also threw their support behind the Mr. Otaka-led leadership in the community, stressing that those against the conference over the sale of land have something to hide.
They pleaded with the revered Olomu monarch to intervene in the crisis in the interest of sustaining the peace in the kingdom.
