The Chief of Defence Employees, Gen. Christopher Musa, has ordered a radical investigation into the deaths of two Okuama group leaders, Pa James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, whereas in Military custody.
Oghoroko, the President-Common of the Okuama group, and 81-year-old Okugbaye, the group’s treasurer, reportedly died six days aside after being detained by the army.
The duo together with 4 others — Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Mrs. Mabel Owhemu, and Mr. Dennis Malaka — have been arrested throughout a army operation performed between August 18 and 20, 2024.
The arrests adopted the killing of 17 troopers on March 14, 2024, throughout a peace mission aimed toward resolving a dispute between Okuama and the neighbouring Okoloba group.
Talking on the matter for the primary time, the Director of Defence Info, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau acknowledged that the Chief of Defence Employees had directed the sixth Division of the Nigerian Military to research the allegations and submit a report by Monday.
Talking through the Strategic Communications Interagency Coverage Committee end-of-year briefing, Gusau stated, “Relating to allegations of deaths in detention over the weekend, headlines surfaced suggesting that people detained in reference to the Okuama incident had died.
“Instantly, the CDS directed an investigation to be performed by the 6 Division. Any second from now, we count on the findings on whether or not the claims are true or not. For now, these stay allegations.
“We’re dedicated to uncovering the reality, and by tomorrow, we can have extra particulars.”