…Alleges police of plans to release properties kept in their custody
…No attempt to release property to any faction – Zone 5 PPRO
Hon. Friday Oboba, former Vice Chairman of Odovie community, Ughelli North local government area of Delta State, yesterday, petitioned the Inspector General of Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 5 over alleged threat to life following community election.
The community leader has also alleged plans to release a Toyota Sienna mini bus and other valuable community documents kept in the custody of the Ofuoma Division of the Nigeria Police, under the Ughelli Area Command to one of the two factions.
Oboba has stated in the petition that crisis started on June 2022, when the community conducted an election for the position of community chairman and Hon. Benjamin Idoghor emerged as the chairman and was sworn in the presence of the out gone chairman to pilot the affairs of the community in three years.
Oboba said not quite few days after Hon. Benjamin Idoghor was sworn in, one Mr. Johnbull Omokri, surfaced from no where with a parallel executive and assuming the chairman of Odovie community. He added that since the election, there has been series of threats, saying that the newly sworn-in executive, the out gone chairman has not step their foots in the community.
Speaking further, Oboba said following the leadership tussle and to avoid further crisis, HRM, Dr. Oharisi III, Ovie of Ughelli kingdom, instructed the out gone chairman, Mr. Francis Okevvie to keep all properties of the community in the custody of Ofuoma police station pending when the issue is resolved.
Oboba narrated that the case is still in Ughelli Magistrate Court with Suit No. MU/56/2022, restraining the oldest man in the community, Mr. Jackson Uke and others from conducting another election or recognizing any other person rather than Hon. Benjamin Idoghor as the newly elected chairman.
He said Mr. Jackson Uke had also approached Ughelli Magistrate Court with Suit No: MU/M/473/2022, with prayers requesting the police to release unconditionally to them the Toyota Sienna car and other documents of the Odovie community kept in the police custody.
But Oboba said, any attempt or plans to release the properties in the custody of the police to the community elders when the matter is still in court will amount to contempt of court, hence this petition to intimate the Inspector General of Police and the Assistant Inspector General of Police to avoid breaking of law and order in the community.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Zone 5, DSP Tijani Momoh said there was no time police had planned to release any property to any of the factions, since the matter is in the court, saying the allegation is false as they are planning on how to take the property from Delta to Zone 5 pending when the court decides.