JUST IN; CDS orders investigation into Okuama leaders’ sudden deaths in custody

JUST IN; CDS orders investigation into Okuama leaders’ sudden deaths in custody

General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the deaths of two prominent Okuama community leaders, Pa James Oghoroko and Dennis Okugbaye, who passed away while in military custody.

Oghoroko, the President-General of Okuama, and the 81-year-old Okugbaye, the community’s treasurer, died just six days apart after being detained by the military. They were among six individuals arrested during a military operation between August 18 and 20, 2024, which followed an ambush on March 14, 2024.

The ambush led to the deaths of 17 soldiers who were part of a peace mission aimed at resolving tensions between Okuama and the neighboring Okoloba community.

In response to the deaths, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information, confirmed that General Musa has instructed the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatalities and submit a report by Monday.

Speaking during the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee end-of-year briefing, Gusau said, “Regarding allegations of deaths in detention over the weekend, headlines surfaced suggesting that individuals detained in connection with the Okuama incident had died.

“Immediately, the CDS directed an investigation to be conducted by the 6 Division. Any moment from now, we expect the findings on whether the claims are true or not. For now, these remain allegations.

“We are committed to uncovering the truth, and by tomorrow, we will have more details.”