Suspects in Onuwaje’s Murder Must Face Trial, Ugborodo Community Insists

Amid claims and counterclaims, the people of Ugborodo Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have insisted that those behind the murder of Emiko Onuwaje must be prosecuted to ensure justice for the bereaved family.

The community also vowed not to accept the return of a prominent indigene until the police arrest the culprits and subject them to proper trial.
Community leaders made the position known on Monday during a peaceful protest held at Ogidigben in the Ugborodo Federated Communities of Warri Federal Constituency.
Dressed in black attire, aggrieved indigenes of Ugborodo marched through major streets in Ogidigben, chanting solemn songs and waving leaves as a sign of mourning and protest.
Speaking to journalists, the Vice Chairman of the Ugborodo Community Management Committee (UCMC) and spokesman of the Ogidigben Community Council of Elders, Austin Ajuremisan, stressed that justice could only be achieved if those responsible for the killing were brought to book.
Also addressing the press, the Secretary of the UCMC, Mr. Eyengho Samuel Besidone, echoed the demand for justice, noting that arresting and prosecuting the suspects would help calm tensions, especially among aggrieved youths in the community.
He said: “The man who was killed, Emiko Onuwaje, has children and a family. This killing is outright murder and not a community disagreement. When armed men invaded our community, we initially thought they were bandits, only to later discover that some of our own brothers were involved, claiming they were fighting for the palace.
“We are calling on the federal government and security agencies to do the needful. The dead is crying for justice, and justice must be served.”
In his account, the Eghare-Aja of Ugborodo, Eghare Daniel Uwawah, recalled that the incident occurred when some Ugborodo indigenes, including the late Emiko Onuwaje, were on their way to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) facility in Ogidigben for a peaceful protest, where they were allegedly attacked, leading to Onuwaje’s death.
A prominent Itsekiri leader, Chief Ayirimi Emami, who expressed deep grief over the incident, stated: “My pipeline surveillance company had written several petitions against the prime suspect over alleged involvement in illegal bunkering. Whenever he is cautioned to desist, they claim it is an attack on the palace, as if the palace supports criminal activities. Does the palace send people to protest or engage in criminal acts?
“The President is against illegal possession of firearms, but once it is discovered that it is not Ayiri, nobody wants to act. One of the boys arrested has already made confessional statements regarding the murder of Emiko Onuwaje.”