THIS PETITION WAS SENT TO ME BY A JOURNALIST FROM DELTA STATE

April 26, 2012

The commissioner of police
The Nigerian police force
Delta State command
Asaba Delta State

Sir,

COMPLAINT OF EXCOMMUNICATION, FURTHER AND CONTINUED THREAT TO LIVES, HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, UNLAWFUL/ILLEGAL DETENTION, BURNING DOWN OF HOUSES OF MEMBERD OF BOTH AGODUWARE AND OGBOWARE FAMILIES ALL OF OKPOKUNOU COMMUNITY IN BURUTU LGA OF DELTA STATE BY HRM PERE CHARLES AYEMI BOTU, UZOR CHUKWUMA AND OTHERS.

We have been briefed and our professional legal services retained by (1) Chief Gilber Safugha (2) Mr. Arekedoumene Safugha (3) Mr. Denis Egena and (4) Mr. Johnbull Ogbosain who are acting for themselves and as representating the entire members of Agoduware and Ogboware families respectively all of Okpokunou community (hereafter jointly and collectively referred to as our client) pursuant to whose very firm and specific instructions to act in connection with the hereinabove contained sunject matter, we hereby petition your security conscious office as follows:

1.0: That our clients Agoduware and Ogboware families are all of Okpokunou community in Burutu LGA of Delta State of Nigeria

1.01: That our clients whose proprietary interest and fundamental human rights have severally been trampled upon by the okpokunou community which culminated in both civil and criminal cases between our clients community and members of their families.

1.02: That while the civil and criminal cases are still pending and subsisting, the okpokunou community compelled our clients families to contribute money boost the community's financial base to prosecute the cases against our clients which our clients refused.

1.03: That the Okpokunou community without having recourse to the pending and subsisting court cases between them and our clients on the 19th day of April, 2012, unlawfully and illegally arrested, chained and detained one DEFENCE WALTER of Agoduware family in a community where there is an established police post but later released on the plea of some elders that attended the meeting.

1.04: That our clients who always take caution in addressing their grievances from the outset instructed us and in line with their instructions, we wrote a letter to the community vide the chairman to stop the continued threat to the lives of members of our clients families, harassment, intimidation and unlawful and illegal detention of members of our clients families pending the resolution of all the cases in court including other demands. The said letter dated 20th day of April, 2012, was served on the chairman of the community on 23rd April, 2012 and a copy of the said letter is hereby annexed for reference purposes.

1.05: That on acknowledgement of receipt of the said letter dated 20th dat of April, 2012, the community held several meetings excluding our clients and took the following resolutions against our clients;

A. That all the members of our clients families are excommunicated from the community with immediate effect.

B. That all children of our clients families of school age and are presently in public schools are banned from attending any of the schools.

C. That the community in collaboration with the principal of the secondary school at okpokunou has already stopped candidates of the current West African Secondary Certificate Examination (WAEECE) who are members of our clients families from taking the exams thus making students of our clients families not to participate in an examination that is taken once a year.

D. That members of our clients families for now are confined to their homes alone thus making them do everything including natures activities inside their homes.

E. That members of our clients' families are stopped from relating with anybody in the community.

F. That they are stopped from buying and selling to people in the community.

G. That members of our clients families are also stopped from attending churches, including boarding cabs and bikes in the community.

1.06: That our clients who have equal opportunities, rights and privileges like any other member/indigene of the community are not comfortable with the community's resolution and are ready to challenge them but for our advise decided to follow the law to the latter.

1.07: That our clients in very strong terms also informed us that the chairman Mr. Uzor Chukwuma and HRM Pere Charles Ayemi Botu (JP) who were once in the Nigerian Army and were declared absent without leave promised to teach our clients a lesson they will never forget in their lifetime including using their military experience to waste as many persons as they can on the part of our clients. This promise according our clients was made on the 25th day of April, 2012.

1.08: That our clients have further informed us that to make good their promise, Mr. Uzor Chukwuma, HRM Pere Charles Ayemi Botu (JP) on 26th day of April, 2012 ordered (1)Gube Bilabiri (2) Hardwood Woto (3) Matthew ThankGod (4) Secretary Amgbara (5) Esama Gbedeke (6) Africa Emiyebo (7) Gbenekeme Agbai (8) Kemezide (9) Prester Kodoko (10) Petrol Epimone (11) Felix Oyafegha (12) Calma Amgberi (13) Kereotu Free (14) Kekere Ayemi (15) Ebitomor Kiokio (16) Emotion Complain (17) Ofege Aliya (18) Francis Agbai (the juju chief priest) amongst many others to set the homes of different classes belonging to our clients on fire and acting on the aforesaid directive, set ablaze the homes of our clients which included (1) Oloye Egena (2) Shylock Omukoro (3) Fearnot Bodo (4) Jeremiah Safugha (5) Clement Asabase (6) Johnbull Ogbosain (7) Otuma Ogbosain (8) Adiboere Safugha (9) Tubuye Firstman and Mr. Thompson Ogbosain amongst others.

1.09: That up till now the apostles and apologists of mr. Uzor Chukwuma and HRM Pere Charles Ayemi Botu (JP) are still burning down houses belonging to our clients but the exact number of houses burnt down cannot be ascertained at the time of this petition.

1.10: That our clients also informed us that majority of the names mentioned in this petition are in HRM Pere Charles Ayemi Botu's palace in Warri Delta state and those that cannot be found in his palace having given him (HRM) their new addresses where he can easily trace them.

2.0: That as we petition your office now, members of our clients families are still scatterd and are presently seeking refuge in neighbouring communities.

2.01: That as it stands, the tension in the community is uncontrollable as the leaders of the community challenged officers/men of the JTF stationed at Bomadi town in Delat State when the said officers/men went to okpokunou community to make peace between our clients and the community.

2.02: That our clients can no longer live in their respective homes and has fled home because of the continues burning of homes belonging to members of their families and based on the foregoing our clients have instructed us to petition your security conscious office to urgently intervene by arresting, investigating and prosecuting Mr. Uzor Chukwuma and HRM Pere Charles Ayemi Botu and other collaborators so as to forestall burning down of houses and other criminal activities.

2.03: That most of the suspects in this petition have severally defied the officers/men of the JTF stationed at Bomadi town in Delta State who have taken the pains to peacefully settle the differences between persons in the community including our clients and the okpokunou community.

2.04: That our clients have strongly promised to stand by and defend this petition to the letter and and are always ready, willing ,d minded to attend your officers schedule interview sessions in connection with the above captioned subject matter whenever they are called upon.

2.05: Finally, we do sincerely hope that your men will timeously swing into action by giving this petition the urgency and consideration it deserves with a view to avoiding a continuous breakdown of law and order by the suspects and their collaborators.

Sir, the above is for your information and necessary action please.

Truly yours,

J.T. Abeokuta Esq.

CC:
The commander
JTF
Operation Pulo shield
Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State