The Nigerian Army has remained silent about the death of James Oghoroko, the President-General of Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State.
On Thursday, multiple media outlets, including The Guardian, reported that Oghoroko had died after spending three months in military detention.
Other leaders of Okuama had revealed Oghoroko’s death during an emergency meeting in the community. They claimed his death was caused by months of torture and inhumane treatment while in detention.
The army failed to confirm or deny Oghoroko’s death when FIJ asked for comments.
Efforts to reach Onyema Nwachukwu, spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, have been unsuccessful. At press time, he had not responded to calls or messages from FIJ since Thursday.
READ MORE: Why Declaring 8 People Wanted for Okuama Massacre Puts Nigerian Army in Contempt of Court
Oghoroko was arrested between August 18 and 20, alongside Arthur Ekpekpo, Belvis Adogbo, Dennis Okugbaye, Anthony Ahwemuria and Rita Akata.
They had been held in detention since their arrest. The detentions are not unconnected to the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama in March.
On March 14, men of the Nigerian army including Colonel Abdullahi Hassan Alli were murdered in Okuama. The killings were part of a protracted conflict between Okuama and Okoloba, a neighbouring community.
In response, the Nigerian Army demolished parts of Okuama, declared it a military zone, and restricted access to journalists and police authorities.
READ MORE: Okuama Resident Who Said Slain Soldiers Were Not for Peacekeeping on Army’s Wanted List
In September, two of the detained leaders, Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, filed separate lawsuits against the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS), demanding N100 million each for illegal detention and violation of their fundamental human rights.
The lawsuits, marked FHC/WR/CS/84/2024 and FHC/WR/CS/85/2024, are pending before a Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State. The bail application for the arrested leaders was adjourned to December 9 by the Federal High Court in a November sitting.
Residents of Okuama also filed a N200 billion lawsuit against the Nigerian military for ‘destroying their communities and demolishing homes’.
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