Ogbeowele Indigenes, Ibusa And Good Spirited Individuals Demand Justice For The Elders Made Homeless by Arsonists
THE Diokpa of Umuokaliemike, Ogbeowele, Ibusa and the elders moved by the current homelessness suffered by the most Elderly in the community whose houses were attacked by Arsonists (deviant youths) have sent a SAVE OUR SOUL(S.O.S.) message to Delta State Government and security agencies to ensure justice for the senior citizens of the community, whose houses were burnt down to ashes.
An arrangement was made by Dr. Obiora Nkencho for the Elders to meet in Asaba. There was a meeting with them recently in Asaba, when some of these elders trooped in from their various hiding abodes following the burning of their houses in the community. Holding back tears while recounting his travails, Diokpa (eldest man in the community) in both Umuokaliemike and Ezebo families (Umu-Iyase) of Ogbeowele in Ibusa community, Diokpa Joseph Onweazu Nkencho, a 95 year- old retired surveyor, said he and his wife, Angelina Nkencho who is 86years of age escaped death by the whiskers as their house was set on fire while they were still inside oblivious of the evil intention of the youths.
The ex-surveyor who retired in the service of a state government said he built his house in the early 80s when many of the attackers had not been born, adding that they also burnt his cars and motorcycles packed in his compound. To his greatest surprise, he said that some adults, who hitherto have been benefiting from the illegal sale of the community land joined the Youths by supplying them with fuel. Among whom are Adaku, Eluemuno, Ebolu’s son.
Diokpa Nkencho, while appealing to Delta State Governor, Rt.Hon.(Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori to come to their aid while ensuring that security agencies bring the perpetrators to book to forestall any future occurrence of that magnitude, further said that the arsonists were a set of the same youth group led by Igwebuike Mogaha that besieged their meeting arena earlier in the year and started beating up the elders, breaking bottles all over the place and stabbed one elder on the mouth. Then, the Elders gathered to discuss how to curb the incessant illegal sale of the community’s lands by the youths. Those particular set of youths sold and collected N10 million, while awaiting for the balance of N25 million from the buyer without the Diokpa’s knowledge. This incident was promptly reported to Ibusa Police Station. Ogbeowele-in Council also intervened and sanctioned the youths and those involved, ordering them to replace all the damaged chairs, use a goat to appease the Diokpa and other elders. But if they failed to comply, that the youth wing be dissolved. Since February 2023, this judgment was passed by Ogbeowele but till July 2023, the youths ignored the order and kept on scavenging the community’s land. The Police Area Commander invited them severally and cautioned them to stop acting against the will of the elders. They defied all steps taken to avert any further serious issues. They continued disobeying the rules, even before it was reported to the police, the youths were there already to counter the community’s peace moves. They had the cash at hand, as the land buyers, who they had bullied to submission, preferred to deal with them than the elders of the community. Nwanze Nwaoboshi, a land developer is a major part of this renegestural behaviour by the youths, as well as one Mobolo. In fact, the Police Station in Ibusa has these land buyers’ names and telephone numbers. Any report against the youths or the land buyers were vehemently ignored.
In August 2023, Diokpa and some elders loyal to him invited other youths who were not part of the assault on the elders to form an interim team to monitor the lands. But the deviant youths with the backing of their parents were not pleased with the decision of the larger community, Ogbeowele. The team of youths formed went to the bush with police escorts to know what has been happening. The deviant youths, led by Isitua chukwuka, Chimalim, Adim and Igwebuike enlisted the help of cult boys numbering over 50 and they plunged into the bush violently in desperation to cover up what they have illegally done and in the process, one of their leaders died. The rest entered the community and set seven houses located at different areas on fire.
The new team leader, Azuka who walked to the station on his own to report what happened in the bush was detained and sent to Ogwashi-Uku Prison and has been held in custody for the past two months. Painfully, the arsonists are left to be walking freely in Ibusa, thus, not only creating more fears for the displaced elders to come back to Ibusa and find a temporary place to live, but justifying that burning of houses, which is acceptable to Ibusa people.
The boy held captive in prison custody is innocent of any charge. Video recording of the scene in the bush showed that he was been beaten and held on the ground by the deviant youths before the gunshot. One person is being punished for a crime not committed by him, while the perpetrators of the house burning are left on the loose”, Diokpa Nkencho summarized.
Also rendered homeless by the arsonists is Diokpa Chike Mogaha, a retired Treasurer to Local Government (TLG) in Oshimili North, during the interview, he was hard at hearing, saying that he lost his hearing aid in the inferno. According to him “I suddenly noticed flares of fire in my sitting room and when I came out to the parlour, I saw the Youths smashing the glasses of my windows and that of my car while others were igniting the curtains with fire. I had to seek a way out”. Amidst tears, he said that “at my age, I had to scale the fence to save myself from being burnt alive. I am 77years old and I lived in that house for over 40 years. I retired as Treasurer to Oshimili North Local Government Area in 2005. I and other Elders have been left homeless since October 20th, 2023, but I’m not asking for too much but justice”, Mogaha said. He further lamented that what burns his heart most is the fact that “those who burnt my house are of the same Mogaha family. Though I am their eldest now. These are Igwebuike, Somayina, Tobe, chimalim, others joined them to unleash unbearable pains on me”, he said.
My offense is that I am in support of Diokpa and other Elders of the community who are loyal to Diokpa. They easily forget that when their children illegally sell our community land, they share the proceeds alone, my children never benefited.” He finally pleaded with the Delta State Government and good spirited individuals for assistance while getting the perpetrators to face the full wrath of the law.
