Yemisi Izuora
President Mohammadu Buhari has been asked to order a full scale investigation violent killings, rape and arms build-up in Okitipupa, an Ilaje oil producing area of Ondo State.
The Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NHRC) at a press briefing in Lagos linked the arms proliferation to dispute between traditional rulers, mainly the Olugbo of Ugboland, His Royal Majesty Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan and other traditional rulers in Ilaje communities which the group said was as a fallout of the last Presidential election.
The civil rights group described the proliferation of arms in the area as a fall out of the last elections when Federal Government institutions were suspected to have backed a prominent Oba and crony of the ousted Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) at gun point to repress and humiliate perceived enemy individuals and communities.
The right group led by Dr Duro Oluwayemi, the Director of Publicity of the Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NHRC), a coalition of several civil society groups said that hundreds of armed thugs currently lay siege on Igbokoda preventing the legitimate traditional ruler of the ancient domain, His Royal Majesty, Oba Afolabi Oladimeji Odidiomo from entering his ancestral home.
The group said that Oba Odidiomo and his subjects have been singled out for persecution and maltreatment by a richer and more recalcitrant king.
The group said that in the past few months, at least six people have been killed in clearly orchestrated cases of murder linked to bitter tussle over lordship in the area adding that most community people who spoke to the NHRC officers point accusing fingers to the powerful and rich Oba of Ugboland who they accuse of subjugating the communities at gun point and was also responsible for framing up the Oba of Igbokoda, Oba Odidiomo on phantom charges of murder.
NRHC alleged that the armed thugs are being led by one Bamitale, an aide of Oba Akinruntan.