Militants terrorize Inikorogha, beat up residents, Community Excos

• Community calls for security help

The indigenes of Inikorogha community have cried aloud over what they described as daily assault, intimidation, harassment by an ex-militant Mr. Robert Okubo, an indigene of the community.

This was contained in a press statement signed by High Chief Joseph Megbuwei, the Amakosuwei of the community in Benin.

The Amakosuwei said the community is not happy with the security agencies for not doing enough to stamp out crime perpetrated by Robert Okubo and his cohorts.

High Chief Megbuwei narrated that the community has been turned into militants camp with hoodlums led by Robert Okubo coming in from Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa States to perpetrate crime.

He lamented that few days after he inaugurated the new community executive, Robert Okubo in company of over 60 militants stormed the community, beat up and injured some members of the executive committee in the community.

The statement reads: “I am High Chief Joseph Megbuwel, the Amakosuwel of Inikorogha community, Ovia South West LGA, Edo State. This community, which l am the head, is not only happy with search light of security agencies on Inikorogha, but am also saying that people of the community welcome and will always welcome the presence of security agencies in the community.

“All the people who are crying foul are bunch of criminals under the leadership of Robert Okubo who has hijacked the entire Inikorogha into his private pocket .

“The community has been turn into militants camp with hoodlums coming in from Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa States courtesy of Robert Okubo.
As you are all aware, I physically inaugurated the new executive committee to pilot the affairs of the community on 28th August, 2021 in the community town hall.

“Few days later, Robert Okubo in company of militants, numbering 60 stormed the community, thoroughly beat up mermbers of the executive committee, which led to some of them sustaining various degrees of injuries.
Robert, while bragging in the community, said it openly that he does not recognize the new executive committee l endorsed and put in place.

“If I may asked, does this not confirm what Vanguard and other Newspapers stories over Robert Okubo setting up parallel executive committee to rubbish, strangulate and deny me of playing my role as the head of the community? This is the reason l fled the community for Benin city due to lawlenesness, criminality and gangsterism that has taken over Inikorogha.

“The people who appeared in the video and also issued statement to the Sun Newspaper publication are fake, they do not represent Inikorogha community, rather they are gang members of Robert Okubo who are doing his bidding to perpetually put Inikorogha community in bondage, captivity and slavery.

“Please the media should help me to tell Governor Godwin Obaseki that Inikorogha community is happy with him , and that we have no single problem or grudge against him.
Robert Okubo was in Adams Oshiomole’s goverment for solid 8 years, where he became mermber of that goverment inner cacus. What stopped him from calling the attention of Osho Baba to the lack of infrastructure in the community and other riverine communities?

“Again, he was in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s first four years, again, he failed to call his attention to it, but when Governor Godwin Obaseki started to checkmate his excesses due to cry of stakeholders, he fell out with Governor Godwin Obaseki and returned to his former way of life, which is kidnapping and other criminal acts.

“On several occasions, money running into millions of naira was released to Okubo to fix Udo-Inikorogha-Ofuanma road , he failed to executive the project, rather he used the money to acquire weapons and turn my community into militants camp.

“But the same Okubo is ranting in the media now through his spoke persons trying to blackmail and incite the public against the innocent Governor .
Finally, I cry to the media to help me in setting my community free from Okubo and his gang by telling Mr. President, Governor Godwin Obaseki, espcially his wife, Her Execellncy, Betty Obaseki , whom l see as my daughter , being that she is also Ijaw person, security agencies in Edo and Abuja to come to Inikorogha to rescue the community that is under the yoke and bondage of Okubo.

“In addition to my earlier response, I equally called on Inspector General of police to withdraw the two mobile men guarding Robert Okubo at Inikorogha because he is using them to terrorize the community.

“As the head of Inikorogha community, am saying that he lied to police authority in Abuja with whatever reason he might have given that led to the deployment of police orderly to him. Inspector General police should know that Robert Okubo is on the run based on his criminal activities in Edo State”, he added.