The Delta State Police Command has transferred HRM Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, the arrested traditional ruler of Ewu kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, to the Nigerian military. This decision was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, during a conversation with reporters on Friday morning.
Edafe clarified that the Nigerian Army had assumed custody of the Delta monarch and subsequently relocated him to Abuja for further investigation. Earlier, Edafe had confirmed that Oghenerukevwe had been placed in police custody after the military high command declared him wanted on Thursday morning, along with seven others, in connection with the alleged killing of 17 army officers and soldiers.
The Delta police spokesman said Oghenerukevwe, the Urhukpe I of Emu Kindom, turned himself in on Thursday evening.
We have already handed him over to the military, they were the ones that declared him wanted,” he said.
But shortly before surrendering to the police, the traditional ruler addressed the media, saying that he had no hand in the murder of the army personnel.
He said: “I am very surprised that my name as the monarch of the kingdom will appear in the list of wanted persons. I have no hand in the killings; I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody; it is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic.
“It is a serious crime against humanity and they need to look at the appropriate places and do thorough investigation to know all those who have committed this and bring them to book and let justice prevail
” am not a party to this, and as I have said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through, and as I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite the opponents recently just before this happenings.”
