Leaders and representatives of Ewu, Okparabe, Arhavwarien, and other Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Delta State find themselves in distress as soldiers carry out cordon-and-search operations in response to the killing of 17 soldiers on March 14 at Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area.
Under siege, these leaders and representatives have issued an SOS message to the traditional rulers of Urhoboland, urging them to intervene and alleviate their plight.
Chief Vincent Oduran, Chief Sam Oborumuyere, and Prince Solomon Diodemise, the Otota of Okparebe Kingdom, joined forces to express their concerns to the Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers, led by HRM Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom.
Residents of several communities find themselves unable to sleep peacefully due to safety concerns, prompting the leaders to beseech the monarchs to implore the government to allow the innocent and suffering people of Okuama to return to their homeland.
In response, the Urhobo Monarchs issued a statement titled “Urhobo Monarchs Appeal to the Federal Government to Allow Innocent, Suffering Okuama People to Return Home.”
According to the statement, the representatives of Ewu, Okparabe, and Arhavwarien Kingdoms visited the Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers on a ‘Save Our Soul’ mission.
“The representatives chronicled the sufferings, attacks, arson, and deaths of the people of Okuama and neighboring communities, saying they could no longer sleep with their eyes closed,” the statement read.
Furthermore, the traditional rulers reiterated their call for the establishment of an independent investigative enquiry into the Okuama-military incident to uncover the truth and prevent future occurrences.
“The good people of Ewu Kingdom should remain calm and law-abiding as the council will ensure that no innocent person suffers unjustly,” the statement concluded.
As tensions escalate and pleas for peace reverberate, the affected communities and their leaders anxiously await a resolution to their plight amidst the ongoing military operations in Delta State.
