OGHARA-DELTA STATE – The African Network For Environment And Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has petitioned the Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Headquarters and the Chief of Army Staff both in Abuja to investigate the activities of the officers and men of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Koko, Delta State over alleged extra judicial killing of Mr. Benson Ogedegbe with a view to prosecuting culpable offenders and prevent a breakdown of law and order in the community.
This is contained in a petition signed by Festus Ukpe, ESQ and John Ainetor, ESQ for Festus Keyamo Chambers counsel to ANEEJ made available to The Nigerian OBSERVER in Benin City yesterday which also indicated that “An expeditious determination of this petition is essential to restore the confidence of the citizenry in the security forces.”
The petition explained that Mr. Benson Ogedegbe was the head of the vigilante group that was set up by the residents and traditional rulers of Oghara community to assist the security agencies with intelligence and operations when it was allegedly “besieged by criminals carrying out criminal activities ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery to oil bunkering,” pointing out that “These criminals operated with relative freedom despite the presence of the Police Force and the Nigerian Army stationed at Koko, Delta State.”
It further explained that the vigilante group reduced criminal activities to the barest minimum in the community but there was allegedly a strange twist of events as “certain criminal elements within the community recruited willing accomplices within the ranks of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army to frustrate the efforts of Mr Benson Ogedegbe-led vigilante group. In pursuance of their objectives, several allegations were leveled against Mr Benson Ogedegbe and the soldiers of 19 Battalion, Koko made it their primary objective to intimidate, harass and oppress the said Benson Ogedegbe.”
While stressing that despite assurances by the Commander of the 19 Battalion that persecution of Benson Ogedegbe would cease, based on which Benson Ogedegbe returned to his house, the petition also alleged that “ on his way to work the following day being 23rd June, 2015, he was chased by soldiers of the 19 Battalion in their government-issued hilux jeep who were shooting at him as they chased him. When they caught up with him, they pulled him out of the car and shot him dead in cold blood in the full glare of members of the community. Unknown to these soldiers, Mr. Benson Ogedegbe’s wife was driving behind her husband when the soldiers started chasing and she was a witness when he was shot dead.”
Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai
