The traditional ruler of Ewu an-Urhobo Kingdom, HRM Clement Oghenerhukewe Ikolo, who was declared wanted by the military over the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community in Delta State, has surrendered to the police.
Ikolo alongside 7 persons were declared wanted over the deaths of the slain heroes who were buried in Abuja on Wednesday.
At their burial, President Bola Tinubu charged stakeholders of Okuama to volunteer information that could lead to the arrest of those behind the killings.
Few hours later, the Defence Headquarters released a wanted list of eight persons and asked the public to help in tracking down the suspects.
Fish out soldiers’ killers, Tinubu tells Okuama elders
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Daily Trust had contacted Ikolo, who had earlier condemned the killing of soldiers, to react to the wanted list, but he simply said, “I just saw it (the list) on TV now. Please, I will call you back because I am with my lawyer.”
However, Daily Trust gathered that the monarch turned himself after addressing the press and releasing a video where he stated his innocence.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Delta, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed that the traditional ruler is in custody.
“The monarch has surrendered to the police and he’s in custody,” Edafe told Daily Trust.
In the video he released before surrendering, the traditional ruler had 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 has committed this and bring them to book and let justice prevail.
“I am not a party to this and like 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.
“I am making an arrangement to invite those who are fighting me in the kingdom to reconcile the differences and allow me to go into the kingdom and start to rule as the monarch of the place. I have not being able to set up anything, I have not been able to set up my traditional council, I have done nothing in the kingdom. So I barely know anything right now, I have no information, I know nothing I am only just in the process of set up a structure to enable me rule in the kingdom.”
