Untold story of Ugborodo killing
*Victims were killed, disembowelled, thrown into the sea – Witness
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| Waiting for death |
Oil-rich Ode-Ugborodo community was the scene of intense bloodletting and gunfight last weekend. Although separated from the facility of a multinational oil company and a military base, the gunfight went on for several hours, during which several persons, 22 according to one source, were killed and property worth millions of naira destroy. SHOLA O’NEIL, x-rays the issue involved in the incident amidst questions over the professionalism of the Nigerian Navy and other military forces in the area.
Ugborodo Community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State had over the years become a major hub for oil and gas business, not only in the state, but in the Niger Delta region. Apart from hosting the massive Chevron Tank Farm and one of the largest gas projects in the world – the recently built Escravos Gas to Liquid - it has been chosen as site for the $16 billion Export Processing Zone in the area.
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| Afejuku |
Yet, except for few personal properties, there is very little on ground to match the huge sums of money accruing to this oil-rich island in the past decades. Allegations of mind-boggling frauds are rife.
Nonetheless, it has been the leadership crisis rocking the oil-rich community and the controversy over New Ugborodo Town project that has put the Itsekiri community in the news in recent times. Two factions led by Hon David Tonwe and Chief Thomas Ereyitomi are currently embroiled in the battle for control of Ugborodo Community Trust, the paramount organ of the town.
The crisis assumed a new twist last weekend with the killing and maiming of several persons during a two-day bloody clash that started late on Saturday, December 4 and ran into the early hours of Monday. It was one incident in a long list of similar occurrences in Ugborodo.
A dark omen of the danger lurking in the oil-rich area first surfaced on Friday afternoon, when some leaders of the community raised the alarm over plan by some aggrieved persons to attack the community. They said the invaders planned to unleash mayhem while using the military as cover.
The statement titled ‘Planned Invasion of Ugborodo by Combine Military Squad’ said the “unholy plot has reached advanced stage with the Navy team from the NNS Delta team led by one lieutenant (names withheld) being briefed and primed for the operation (on Friday afternoon).
The Base Information Officer, NNS Delta, Lieutenant Ibrahim Yohanna, who was contacted by our reporter, debunked the statement, saying the operation its men were being briefed for was for the provision of security for a firm that was going there to execute a project.
Six gunboats left the NNS Delta Base for Ugborodo, late on Saturday morning. The squad went to the Forward Operation Base, which Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Ezete, was no stranger to the people or the Ugborodo crisis.
Ogbemi Frank Akpieyi, the community’s Public Relations Officer, told our reporter that leaders of Ode-Ugborodo were briefing the people about the plot to invade the town when the troops arrived.
“When they came, it was as if they came to launch attack with about eight naval gunboats and speedboats. Everywhere was filled; all arms of the military were there, except the army. They surrounded the community. As some of their boats were going, our people were following them on the seashore. When they got to the extreme (of the community) they came down.
“The Naval officer from Chevron had been coming so we knew him. He met the entire community at the public field. He said government held a peace meeting in Warri and they were in the town as part of the meeting. We said we were not aware and nobody from Ugborodo attended.
“We told him they could not be talking about peace without justice; when the mouthpiece of the community (Benson Dube, Olaja Orori (spiritual head) of Ugborodo), is languishing in prison.”
Our findings showed that relationship between the Ugborodo and the state government had deteriorated over the choice of nominees for the community’s committee to negotiate with the Federal Government on the $16bn project. The government’s choice of Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, one of the factional leaders, to chair it did not augur well with the community.
Prominent Itsekiri leaders, including Chief JOS Ayomike and the spiritual head of Ugborodo, Mr Benson Omadeli Dube among others reportedly opposed the government’s decision, hinging their resistance on the fact that “government cannot choose a committee to negotiate with government in a purely community affair”.
The governor, who also became enmeshed in the controversy, dismissed insinuations of a vested interest. He said, "I have no personal interest in this matter, all the factions are known and close to me and they have worked with me even before I became governor."
Our investigation revealed that prior to the military visit some members of the Ereyitomi-led faction were banned from Ode-Ugborodo over their perceived role in Dube’s controversial arrest and detention.
On November 5, 2013, a sibling of influential businessman and chair of the Itsekiri Regional Development Council, Chief Ayiri Emami, was accused of shooting a young man to death. The victim, Sunny Temola, was said to be loyal to Tonwe faction and Emami is a staunch supporter and member of the Ereyitomi-led group,
Emami faulted allegation against his sibling, stating that it was targeted at him. He demanded evidence and the corpse of the ‘victim’. He told our reporter that the blood on the boat wehre Temola was shot was just “chicken blood” poured to fool the public and smear his name.
The day after the ‘killing’ Dube led people of the town to protest, which later led to the banishment of some notably members of the Ereyitomi faction. Those sanctioned were fingered for alleged mismanagement of the community’s fund and the jinxed N5.6bn Ugborodo New Town project funded by the state government and Chevron Nigeria Limited.
They said Chevron’s funding of $6m was deposited in private account where some persons were using it as collateral and reaping the interests. They also alleged that the government’s nearly N4bn disbursement for the project, which was for the construction of a new town, was mismanaged and there was nothing to justify it.
A few days after that protest, Emami accused Dube of unlawfully arresting and torturing two of his supporters. He told security agents and newsmen that droplets of burning wax were used to torture the victims.
Dube was arrested on the directive of the state government when he attended a peace meeting convened at the Governor’s Office, Warri Annexe to resolve the Ugborodo crisis. He was investigated for alleged illegal bunkering but was later released by the police.
But his ordeal was far from over.
On November 22, he was invited for questioning by Captain Ezete, who later arrested and detained him along with one Joseph Uwawa, Churchill Omadeli and Michael Lodge, the youth leader. They were whisked to Warri, allegedly on the order of the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Mohammed Garba.
There were reports that the police refused to accept the suspects from the navy because the Area Commander in charge of Warri Area refused to get embroiled in the controversy having earlier investigated and exonerated Dube for the alleged crime.
The Ereyitomi faction, which is allegedly backed by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, was fingered for the arrest and accused of using its closeness to the government to torment their opponents in the community.
Also, shortly after the arrest, rumour began making the round in the Oil City and even military circle that some naval official were “bought” with huge sums of money to effect the quartet’s arrest.
A very high officer of the Nigerian Army (names withheld) confided in our reporter and his colleague who works for a TV station, that he was first approached and offered money to lead the arrest. He showed a text message revealing those who were paid and how much.
Faced with the dilemma of what to do with the suspects 48 hours after the arrest, the Navy took them to Asaba on Sunday, November 24, with the intention of arraigning them on Monday. Rather than charge them, the suspects were returned back to Warri navy base without any charge.
A renowned Delta human rights lawyer and National Coordinator, Forum Justice and Human Rights Defence, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, denounced the action of the Navy. He urged them to release Dube and others or arraign them in court.
The family went to a Delta State High Court to file a suit for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the victims. But on Tuesday, the police took over the matter and dramatically arraigned them for attempted murder, illegal bunkering and other crimes.
A statement was later credited to Emami in a national news daily, where he defended the arrest and listed some crimes which Dube and his cohorts allegedly committed.
While the fight to secure their bail was on, some of his opponents in the Ugborodo crisis reportedly vowed that Dube would not spend the yuletide season with his family. “They said they would teach him that they are in control of the state,” a source stated.
On December 23, the prediction came to pass when a Federal High Court in Warri denied application filed by Femi Falana (SAN) and consigned the ‘Ugborodo 4’ to Christmas and New Year in the Okere Prison.
SATURDAY FACE-OFF
It was against this background that Akpieyi and other Ugborodo leaders insisted that the Olaja Orori and others be released as a condition for peace to reign in Ugborodo.
The Navy top shot cranked up the tension when he reportedly told the villagers on Saturday that he was also in the town to negotiate the return of those banished. He was quoted as saying the exiled were awaiting the outcome of the meeting before treurning to the community on that fateful Saturday.
“That statement gave us the clearest indication that the operation was not what the state government said it was. They wanted to force their decision on the community again,” another source stated.
Confirming this, the youth leader said, “We told the Navy CO that (exiles return) is impossible. We told him that we would not allow that happen, even if that would take the lives of everybody in the community.”
Irked by the temerity, Akpieye said the ‘CO’ declared an immediate curfew on the waterways. “He ordered no boat should leave or enter Arunto until further notice - meaning until we bowed to his decree.”
Having made the declaration, the naval official and his team returned to their gunboats and took over the shores of the community and the creeks to enforce the ‘curfew’. Boats going to Warri and other upland places were prevented from leaving the island. Those coming to the town were denied access.
A source in the community said tempers rose to boiling point when they observed that boats going to 911 Resort (Ajudaibo) owned by Emami, were allowed unhindered use of the waterways.
There were also allegations that the military allowed unhindered movement of mercenaries, arms and ammunition even while the curfew was on that Saturday afternoon.
What led to the clash and reported three deaths was still unclear at the time of this report. But Mr. Femi Uwawa, who spoke in a telephone chat with our reporter from Ugborodo at about 7pm on that the fateful day, accused the navy of shooting indiscriminately at women and children.
He said three persons in a boat were shot by the military because they ignored the curfew. “They were shot by the navy, who are taking their corpses away right now.”
But Mr Isaac Botosan, the Vice Chairman of the Ereyitomi led faction, debunked Uwawa’s claim. Botosan, who is one of those declared persona non grata by the community, said the security agents were not even allowed to disembark from their boat. He blamed the stiff resistance on illegal bunkerers.
Botosan said, “The security agents arrived Ugborodo yesterday (Saturday). They have not been allowed to come down from their boats. They (illegal bunkerers) were able to stop the security men from coming into the community by mobilizing the old women and men in the community. They used them as human shield to prevent the security men from doing their jobs.”
As the face-off persisted, sleep eluded the community. The tension seeped into Warri and wherever Ugborodo indigenes lived. People whose relatives and loved ones were there kept in touch by telephone and prayed for peace all through the night.
But morning did not bring relief. The military continued the siege to the town from a distance and moved around midmorning. As they did, their places were taken over by several speedboats ferrying youths and suspected thugs from Warri.
How Ugborodo was stormed, while the military was washing - Witness
Akpieyi, who witnessed and took photographs as it was ongoing told our reporter that he had videos and still photos showing the military and the armed gang who attacked the town planning the invasion minutes before it was launched.
“The entire community was on guard till Sunday; nobody could go to church. We all came together. We were there praising God. Before 11am we saw one of those involved in the crisis (names withheld) he was in his red boat and four other speedboats filled with boys.
“Immediately, we got a call from (one of the communities) that they are loading guns and ammunition. We called the Navy CO and I also called one SSS (official) and we told them what was happening. We told them ‘We are under attack, they are coming.
“They did not use (come through) CHEVRON side, because of the security cameras that sweep through the rivers. They went to where Chevron camera can’t see. When they got close to the seashore, they started opening fire
“At about 11 o’clock, right in the face of the navy, about 10 boats loaded with arms were shooting. “It was like a suicide mission. We had taken our stance and said even if means we all die, we won’t move. Some of our boys carried cutlasses and Ojigbe (a form of cutlass).
“First when they were shooting, nobody was running. But when people started falling that was when people started running. They came down. I was videoing other people were taking pictures.
“Those that they killed, they would take into boats and drive to the middle of the sea. It was like they were tearing their bellies and dumping them into the sea because that way the corpses would never resurface. They took over the community from 11am till 6pm. While these were going on navy gunboats were all here.
“They (invaders) went to Navy gunboats and they converse. They discussed after that the whole gunboats moved to one side. And they started coming,” Akpieyi added.
For over four hours, steady staccatos of gunfire rang through Ugborodo as armed youths overran the town, killed and maimed innocent citizens and plundered houses. Among those whose remains were found was Afejuku Oritseneye, whose disembowel remains were sneaked into Warri on the night of Sunday, January 5 at about 9pm.
His family members received his remains at the Pessu Waterside after it was sneaked through unconventional route to escape the military and his killers who were doing everything possible to obliterate traces of crime committed on that day. The remains was brought to the “A” Division Police Station that at 9:17pm before being taken to the morgue.
Dozens others who sustained gunshot wounds were treated at neighbouring communities. One of the victims, identified simply as Blacky said he was shot by his half brother, who was in another faction in the crisis. Blacky was among those treated at the Okerenkoko Cottage Hospital recently renovated and equipped by the Tompolo Foundation.
The houses of the Olaja Orori and other members of the community were destroyed. Household items, furniture and electronics were brought out and smashed.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday in Lagos, Dr Alex Ideh, a prominent Itsekiri leader and Mr Temisan Omatseye, former DG of NIMASA, said over 22 persons were killed in the attack. Ideh placed the valued of property destroyed at over N250m.
He said dozen others remained unaccounted, adding, “All these took place with one (naval) boat watching. The Ugborodo people were helpless. As we made calls, we could hear the shots at the background,” he added.
Meanwhile, our independent investigation revealed that the community youths who fled into the bush later regrouped and launched a quick counterattack to regain control and take out the wounded. The battle for control raged till late night when the invaders were forced to flee.
Navy not involved in the shootout, says FOC, CNC
Twenty-four hours after the carnage, the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Hassan Usman, addressed the press at the NNS Delta Naval Base. He said, “No naval gunboats were involved in any operation that led to shoot out or the alleged loss of lives as reported.”
He added that “it is important to state that the fracas was between Arotun and Madagho communities, which the task force remained neutral in the crisis.”
The FOC, who did not entertain questions from reporters, also did not volunteer answers on why the naval gunboat or the nearby FOB failed to respond to cries from help from the people of the community or even respond to sporadic shootings and deaths.
The top military brass left so many questions unanswered, not only for the newsmen at the news conference, but also for Nigerians in general and the people of Ode-Ugborodo, who lost loved ones on those bloody days.
Meanwhile, at the time of finishing this report on Saturday, Dube and the three others had made a triumphant return to the oil-rich land having been granted bail by a Delta State High Court.
They return to a community torn – physically and emotionally. Those who lost their loved ones are counting their losses and those who sustained injuries were being treated.
Unfortunately, the last Saturday’s killings were not the first and may not be the last as key players, who are individually richer than the oil-rich community jostle for its control, and extension, control of royalties accruing to it.
Uneasy calm now pervades the troubled community, nobody knows how long before the next round of gunfire rings out. But the beleaguered people and their neighbours are hoping that the government would muster the political will to end the crisis and bring perpetrators to book.
CULLED FROM THE NATION NEWSPAPER OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
