Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, has stated that reports of the deaths of Okuama community leaders in military detention remain unconfirmed allegations that are pending investigation. The military could neither confirm nor deny the deaths.
This statement comes despite consistent media inquiries and widespread coverage of the incident over the past two weeks.
Between December 2 and December 10 for instance, FIJ had made multiple attempts to contact the military for clarification via phone calls and emails. However, no response was received regarding the deaths.
READ MORE: Army Silent Following News of Okuama Leader’s Death in Its Custody
According to a report by The Punch, Gusau made this statement during the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee end-of-year event on Monday. Gusau said that General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), had ordered an investigation into the claims.
“Regarding allegations of deaths in detention, headlines have suggested that individuals detained in connection with the Okuama incident had died. Immediately, the CDS directed the 6 Division to investigate the circumstances. Any moment from now, we expect the findings on whether these claims are true or not. For now, they remain allegations. By tomorrow, we will have more details.” Gusau said.
The deaths of James Oghoroko, President-General of the Okuama community, and Dennis Okugbaye, the 81-year-old community treasurer, have been widely reported.
Oghoroko had died on December 2 after spending nearly three months in military detention. Community members attributed his death to severe torture and poor detention conditions.
On December 10, Okugbaye’s death was reported by his son, Akpos Okugbaye, who disclosed that the family had spent over N401,000 on medical care before his passing.
READ MORE: Army Silent One Week After Two Okuama Deaths in Detention
Up until Gusau’s statement, the Nigerian Army had remained silent on the matter, with repeated attempts to reach Onyema Nwachukwu, Army spokesperson, yielding no response.
Oghoroko and Okugbaye were arrested between August 18 and 20, alongside Arthur Ekpekpo, Belvis Adogbo, 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. The killings were part of a protracted conflict between Okuama and Okoloba, a neighbouring community.
FIJ understands that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) oversees the Nigerian Armed Forces and serves as the principal military adviser to both the Minister of Defence and the President of Nigeria.
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