Police Arrest Delta Community Chairman, Two Others Over Public Fl0gging Of Resident
Police Arrest Delta Community Chairman, Two Others Over Public Flogging Of Resident
Pandemonium erupted in Emevor on Wednesday after Okeremu and members of his executive allegedly assaulted and publicly humiliated Okedi over allegations he posted in the community WhatsApp group.
The Delta State Police Area Command in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area, has arrested three persons over the alleged assault and public humiliation of an Emevor community indigene, Godspower Okedi, following comments he made in a community WhatsApp group.
The suspects are said to include the Chairman of Emevor Community, Lucky Okeremu, the community vigilante chairman, and the chairman of the community task force.
Pandemonium erupted in Emevor on Wednesday after Okeremu and members of his executive allegedly assaulted and publicly humiliated Okedi over allegations he posted in the community WhatsApp group.
According to multiple community sources, Okedi had alleged that the community chairman invited women whose farms were reportedly destroyed by suspected Fulani herdsmen to register at the community civic centre for compensation payments allegedly received from the herders.
The sources said Okedi criticised the alleged arrangement, warning that accepting compensation from the herders could embolden them to continue destroying farmlands and worsen insecurity in the community.
He reportedly argued that such an arrangement could encourage the continued presence of suspected herdsmen and bandits in the area, making farming increasingly unsafe for residents.
However, Okeremu’s camp has denied the allegation, saying, “The facts are clear: following the destruction of farmlands by herdsmen, the Community Chairman, in consultation with community leaders, stakeholders, and the Area Commander, convened a meeting with the heads of the Arewa Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area.
“The outcome was a firm resolution that herdsmen should no longer enter Emevor to graze. It is therefore misleading to portray this peace-building engagement as evidence of collaboration with herdsmen.”
According to the camp, several respected members of the community appealed to Okedi to offer an unreserved apology over the allegations, but he refused.
Earlier reports had suggested that Okedi’s ordeal stemmed from social media posts in which he criticised abandoned Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) road projects in the community and questioned the role of a Port Harcourt-based Emevor indigene said to have facilitated the projects.
However, fresh information obtained by SaharaReporters indicates that the immediate trigger for the assault was his comments in the community WhatsApp group concerning the alleged compensation arrangement for women affected by the destruction of their farmlands.
SaharaReporters learnt that after making the allegations, Okedi was invited by the community leadership to appear before them. Shortly after honouring the invitation on Wednesday, he was allegedly attacked by members of the executive.
Witnesses said he was beaten, forced to lie face down on the ground, and repeatedly flogged with sticks and pieces of wood while the assault was recorded on video. The footage later circulated widely on social media, sparking widespread outrage.
The incident has generated condemnation within the community and across social media, with many Nigerians calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those allegedly involved.
The development has also raised concerns about the abuse of authority by community leaders and renewed questions over whether they have any legal power to subject residents to physical punishment for expressing opinions on social media.
On Wednesday, the President of the Isoko National Youth Assembly Worldwide (INYA), Eniwake Orogun, condemned the assault while reacting to the incident, stating, “It stands condemned. No one has the right to treat another in that manner. I have the assurances of the police that all parties have been invited to the Area Command, Ozoro, and that the issue will be given the attention it deserves.
“Further action(s) may be taken pending the outcome of the meeting tomorrow (Thursday).”
Likewise, the President-General of the Emevor Community, Emmanuel Erezih, popularly known as Okpomo, also denounced the incident.
“Let me state unequivocally, no online post, regardless of its content, justifies the kind of treatment witnessed in those videos. Such actions are unacceptable and have no place in our community,” he said.
“Having carefully reviewed the videos, I strongly condemn the actions of the community chairman, Lucky Okeremu, and all those who participated in the incident. While individuals may hold differing opinions or express grievances, no one has the right to resort to intimidation, humiliation or take the law into their own hands.”
Meanwhile, a senior source at the Delta State Police Area Command in Ozoro confirmed the arrest of some of the suspects allegedly involved in the assault.
The senior police officer, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, said those arrested and currently in police custody include the Chairman of Emevor Community, Lucky Okeremu, the community vigilante chairman, and the chairman of the community task force.
The officer added that other suspects allegedly linked to the assault remain at large after failing to honour police invitations.
SaharaReporters also learnt that the suspects are expected to be arraigned upon the conclusion of the police investigation.
