“Before The Jamboree Begins”— Okuama Lead Lawyer Asks Governor Oborevwori 17 Questions

The lead lawyer for Okuama-Ewu community in Delta State, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, has raised 17 posers for Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State concerning the welfare of the community residents.

The lawyer, who has filed a N200 billion suit against the Nigerian Army on alleged human rights abuses in the community, posed the puzzles in a statement titled, “Okuama: Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Management Committee; Before the Jamboree Begins,” made available on Friday.

The statement read, “Before members of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Management Committee start cashing out and smiling to the bank; Before they start catching the cruise, and before the jamboree begins, it is imperative for the following questions to be answered.”

“Why has the Delta State governor not addressed Deltans, Nigerians, and the International Community on the Nigerian Army invasion, violation of the fundamental rights of the residents of Okuama, and the Nigerian Army’s continued occupation of the Okuama community, which started on March 14, 2024?

“Why did the Delta State government not set up an inquiry to find out what happened in the Okuama community?

“Why did it take the Delta State government over 44 days to inaugurate an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) management committee knowing the plight of residents of the Okuama community since March 14, 2024?

“Why was the Delta State governor, his commissioners, and the commissioner of police of Delta State, unable to enter into Okuama immediately after the Nigerian Army invasion of the Okuama community on March 14 to assess the level of the hideous crime against humanity committed by the Nigerian Army against the residents of the Okuama community until after 40 days?

“Why has the Nigerian Army cordoned off Okuama from the public, the press, and its residents until today?

“Why did the Delta State government fail, refuse, or neglect to act until some residents of the Okuama community went to court to seek redress for the enforcement of their fundamental rights?

“Why has the Delta state government up to date, failed, refused, and neglected to visit the residents of Okuama community in the bushes and forest where they fled to for safety from the Nigerian Army invasion?

“Why has the Delta State government failed and refused to provide food, water, medication, clothes, blankets, and other relief materials to the residents of the Okuama community living in the bushes and forest under inhuman degrading, and excruciating conditions?

“Why did the Delta state government fail and refuse to respond to the Okuama community letter of February 2, 2024, to the governor, asking the government to intervene in the crisis between it and the Okoloba community, which snowballed into the Nigerian Army’s invasion of the Okuama community?

“Who will pay residents of the Okuama community for the damages and losses they suffered because of the illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional Nigerian Army invasion of their community?

“Why has the Delta state government failed to stand up for the residents of the Okuama community?

“Where is the culpability of the Nigerian Army in all these?

“Why must Delta State government pay for the wrongs of the Nigerian Army?

“Why is the Delta state government shielding the Nigerian Army and shying away from ensuring that the Nigerian Army is held accountable for her illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional actions to serve as a deterrent to her?

“What is the faith of the cases filed by the residents of the Okuama community at the Federal High Court, Warri, since the cases are subjudices?

“Is the inauguration of the IDP management committee not prejudicial to the cases filed by the residents of the Okuama community at the Federal High Court, Warri?

“What are the terms of reference of the IDP management committee for the displaced people of the Okuama community?

“It is imperative, in the interest of justice and posterity, that the above questions are answered before politicians turn the IDP management committee for displaced people of the Okuama community to a jamboree and money-making exercise.”