Why I didn’t visit Inikorogha for the past 12 years -Edo gov aide, Pere

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The Special Assistant to the Governor of Edo state on security, Hon. Pere Wikirigha has revealed why he decided not to visit his Inikorogha community for the past twelve years.

The governor’s aide said he ran away from the community to save his life following several attempts to snuff life out of him by a dreaded ex-militant leader Mr Robert Okubo, who was described as the Pharaoh of the Inikorogha community.

Speaking at an interview in the Inikorogha community, during the visit of newsmen in the community to ascertain the true situation of the community following the deployment of massive security operatives in the community, Hon. Pere said: “First of all, let me thank God for making this day possible, and secondly I want to thank
my boss Gov Godwin Obaseki for listening to the cry of the Inikorogha community. For over 12 years back, today April 29 is the first day I’m visiting my community to walk freely, apart from election days when I may visit the community with security operatives.

He said, “I’m disgusted, here in the Inikorogha community every issue is tied to politics, for the 12 years back, if you are not with the Goliath you are considered to be an enemy. You may be shot, killed and send exiled if you are not lucky enough. All is not well with our community in the past years. All that our brother Daniel Ezekiel was saying was the truth. I read a lot of backlash against him. It was enemies and people afar that were attacking him. The truth is that he did much in upturning the table for Goliath.

“I was out of this community for over 12 years, I left my business because I want to save my life.

“The last governorship election
In September 2020, Okubo Robert almost took my life, I think they heard of it in the government house, I was almost killed because I was against oppression and intimidation. I stood my ground that they should allow everybody to vote their choice as it is a fundamental right of every free citizen of this country but when they said it must be only one party, I frown at it.

“They insisted that it should be APC or no other party, then I stood on my grand and argued that Inikorogha people should be allowed to vote for their choice that was when the ‘thugs bounced on me and when the fight commenced, the other people around me ran away. I was left alone, over 70 boys attacked me. I never knew I would survive. It was God that saved me. Today we have converged peacefully in the Inikorogha community.

“This happened by miracle because we have all conceded to the Pharaoh of the Inikorogha community. Today we put in new Ama-kosowei without any stress, without a fight and we have put in new executives to run the affairs of the community without a fight. I think it is freedom from captivity after 12 years of passing through torment and hostility as people of the Inikorogha community. I want to tell you that the people of the Inikorogha community are happy and grateful to God Almighty.

“Ever since then this Robert Okubo has been hunting my life, he used the Abuja connection to hunt us in Benin City. He used federal SARs to arrest us but thank God we were saved from his hand. There is no freedom in this community for the past 12 years. You can’t walk freely in the community. If you are not with him, he may come after you. He has killed. His younger brother Pepper uses a gun to shoot one China Samuel in this community and many more.

“Again, we want to thank Governor Godwin Obaseki for bringing freedom to the Inikorogha community and I want to also use this opportunity to say we are behind him anything he wants us to do, we will assist him.

“We consider this as a landmark support from the governor, also we want him to do more in terms of infrastructure, development and good roads to Inikorogha and other Ijaw communities in the state. Though, he was about to commence the construction of the Inikorogha, Udo and Ofunama road projects before the rain.

“I also use this opportunity to beg Governor Godwin Obaseki to expedite the road construction projects in the Area. This act of terrorism is happening in our community because of bad roads. But by the time these roads have been put in place, crime will reduce because the security operatives can come in anytime when called upon,” he added.