Slain soldiers: Police Hand Over Wanted Delta Monarch to Military

The police in Delta State have handed over the traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom, an Urhobo Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe to the military authorities.

The monarch had surrendered himself on Thursday to the police after he was declared wanted by the military over the killing of 17 doldiers in Okuama Community.

The traditional ruler was declared wanted Thursday alongside the president general of Ewu, Prof Ekpekpo Arthur, the mother of one the alleged perpetrators and five others over the killing of 17 soldiers.

The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the handover to our correspondent in a terse text.

“Confirmed,” Edafe responded to a text message sent to him.

It was learnt that the monarch was handed over to the military Friday morning in Asaba.

Daily Trust had reported that the monarch on Thursday held a press conference where he declared his innocence before submitting himself to the police.

“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.

“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 these happenings,” he had said.