Murder: Delta community allegedly excommunicates victim’s family over arrest of suspects

Unease in Okpokunou community in Burutu local government of Delta state as two families have been allegedly ejected from the community, following arrest of two murder suspects by the department of security services ( DSS) of late Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbosain who was killed at the alleged orders of the former community chairman Mr Tokekeme Egbouke on allegations of stealing community property on May 2, 2023.

Congress can report that family members of the victim were seen packing their loads in motor bikes and try-circles moving to neighbouring communities after the current Okpokunou community Chairman Mr Jonathan Amakubukuro Fiemotonghan at the end of a general meeting held Thursday, allegedly announced on Friday morning in the community information house, using sound system to disseminate the excommunication, ordering the members of the two families of the victim, Ogbasain and Okpako families in Okpokunou town to leave the community to avoid further negative reaction on them.

It was gathered that this new development was due to the arrest made by men of the department of the state security services (DSS) on suspects of the extra-judicial murder of Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbosain by some suspected members of the Okpokunou community on May 2, 2023. Following a petition, the DSS in Delta state swung into action and
arrested some suspects and handed them over to the police command in Asaba, capital of Delta state.

Congress learnt that currently several indigenes of the affected families from Okpokunou are now homeless, taking shelter in neighbouring Ijaw communities.

According to the petition, late Mr. Daniel Chukwuemeka Daniel was accused of stealing community property and the community chairman ordered for his beating who gave up the ghost in the process of the mob action.

After he was confirmed dead, the community deposited the corpse in Bomadi General hospital and in a few days time, the same community chairman allegedly ordered for the removal of the corpse in the morgue and was given a shallow burial.

Thereafter, the corpse was allegedly exhumed and thrown into the river for craps and other sea creatures to feast on it -according to the petitioners.

The family made a petition to the Commissioner of Police Delta state and copied Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abuja signed by the Ogbosan family lawyer, Barr. on behalf of the Ogbasain family in Okpokunou community and that of Obotebe community by the following family leaders Mr Godspower Akpos and Moses Okpako Ogboain of Okpokunou Community and Mr. Diare Samuel Perezide of Obotebe Community, all in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State to arrest and prosecute the culprits behind the dastardly act for justice to prevail.

The police in Okpokunou town attempted to make an arrest but the suspects overpowered the police and humiliated and assaulted the DPO by disarming the police and force all the policemen to sit on the floor of the community town hall and were cautioned to refrained from the matter or they would be killed.

The Police early January, 2024 sought the assistance of the Army in Bomadi some few kilometres away from Okpokunou who swung to the town and arrester the community chairman Mr. Tokekeme Egbouke who was trying to flee the community. He has been since then, cooling off in police detention as all attempts to bail the prime suspect failed.

The members of the arrested mastermind of the extra-judicial killing out of anger the arrest of their brother attacked family members of the victim by assaulting them with physical torture and destruction of their houses and other property worth over N200 million.

On Thursday, according to our source” since the culprits overpowered the police in the area, family members of the victim contacted men of the DSS who supported the police to make the arrest of some of the suspects and handed them to the police at Asaba, capital of Delta state.

Confirming the excommunication order placed on family members of the victim over police and DSS arrest of murder suspects in Okpokunou community from the Delta state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr. Edafe Bright, said the state CID is currently investigating the matter.

Meanwhile, our reporter could not reach out to the community chairman for comment as his call line was not reachable at the time of filing this report.