The Public Relations Officer of Ogidigben Community in Ugborodo, Warri South - West Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Austine Ajurenmisan, has dismissed claims that some Indigenes of Ogidigben Community, were chased away from the community as a result of the murder of Emiko Onuwaje, alleging it was killers of Emiko Onuwaje " who willingly ran away" from the community " to evade justice."
Fresh Angle International, can report that Ajurenmisan made the allegation at Ogidigben Community, Saturday January 3, during a media briefing.
Whilst stating that Ogidigben Community, is part of Ugborodo Federated Communities, under the overlordship of The Olu of Warri, Ajurenmisan, noted that the administrative power of Ugborodo Federated Communities, is vested on the Eghare - Aja and the Ugborodo Council of Elders, hence " Ugborodo Community, which Ogidigben belongs to, cannot be administered in Warri."
Below, is text of the press statement, read by Mr. Austine Ajurenmisan:
"Gentlemen of the press, Good Afternoon and happy new year to everyone. It is with heavy heart that I address you today here in Ogidigben Community as the PRO of the Community and the Vice Chairman of Ugborodo Community Management Committee in Warri South West LGA of which Ogidigben community is one of the federated communities. Our heart is heavy because the event that happened in the last few days in Ogidigben which led to the brutal killing of our dear brother and son, Late Mr. Emiko Onuwaje is still fresh in our heart. With this alone, the entire world knows that the allegation of thugs parading themselves with arms and ammunition by John Okpeyor Daje and Tony Edegbele are unfounded, rather they are accusing the law-abiding citizens of Ogidigben and Ugborodo in general of what they are guilty of. Also worthy of note is that nobody was chased away from Ogidigben community apart from the killers of late Emiko Onuwaje, who willingly ran away just to evade justice. As we speak, the community is peaceful and shall remain peaceful.
We are addressing you here today because we hold our dear community and our people the utmost responsibility to correct the broad day lies told by one John Okpeyor Daje and one Mr. Tony Ukueyinden Edegbele who do not reside in the community and have not even spend a night in Ogidigben for the past thirty-five (35) years, not to talk of having a hut of his own in the community where he can lay his head. We are therefore surprise that someone of his person who reside far away in the United Kingdom and only visit the community occasionally could come and give a brief of what happened in the community on the 20th of December 2025 while he was faraway in the UK. It is to this end and for the sake of the gullible that we are duty-bound to correct the misgivings he told the world on the following basis;
*1. UGBORODO AND THE OLU OF WARRI*
Ugborodo as one of the aboriginal Communities in Warri Kingdom has a well define administrative structure that is headed by the Eghare-Aja, Eghare Daniel Uwawa, the Olaja-Orori, Pa. Benson Dube Omadeli, and the Ugborodo Council of Elders. It is not in any contention that all the Ugborodo Federated Communities are under the Overlordship of the Olu of Warri.
If I may ask, when HM Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR visited the entire Ugborodo Federated Communities in the year 2023, where was Tony Edegbele? He was not there, neither did he contribute in anyway, before, during and after the event. Also, when HM visited Ogidigben in the year 2022, Tony Edegbele was not even there to welcome him. It is on records that I, Austin Ajurenmisan being the PRO of the community, led the entire people of Ogidigben to welcome HM and celebrated his visit which was a huge success. Who then is not loyal to the Olu of Warri as alleged by Mr. Tony Edegbele? Mr. Tony’s claim that what has been happening in Ogidigben over the years which culminated to the ugly incidence of December 20th 2025 that led to the brutal killing of our brother, Late Emiko Onuwaje by John Okpeyor Daje’s hired thugs was because he and his co-liars are loyal to the Olu, this is nothing more than an attempt to buy the sympathy of the public and the Itsekiri nation at large, particularly the gullible ones. The reason for all these lies and blackmails is for Tony to help his boss, John Okpeyor Daje secure his long-conceived dream of becoming the supreme leader of Ogidigben community against the wish of the overwhelming majority of the people.
*2. THE LIES ON CHIEF AYIRI EMAMI, THOMAS EREYITOMI, AND HON. TUOYO*
Itsekiri as a nation, are law abiding people which Ugborodo is not an exception. Chief Ayiri Emami is in a court of competent jurisdiction challenging his removal/suspension. It becomes prejudice to speak on the matter. Okpeyor who is a well-known oil bunker, he is the one accusing Chief Ayiri of same. It is not surprising because, the same Okpeyor that accused Chief Ayiri, and Hon. Chief Thomas Ereyitomi of using any protest in Ugborodo to enrich themselves through contracts, himself and his close allies in the palace were the major beneficiaries of the major part of the light contract in Ugborodo. I can tell you for free that all accusations from Okpeyor and Tony Edegbele against Chief Ayiri, Chief Thomas, and Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli are baseless, unfounded and are complete lies from the pit of hell.
*3. THE TERROR IN OGIDIGBEN*
The terror in Ogidigben Community started in the year 2021 when John Daje and Sheriff Erewa started introducing cultism into the community. Countless efforts were made by Mr. Louis Pirah who was then, the Community PRO to stop their new move (cultism and terror) was resisted. Louis was seen as an enemy and threat to their evil agenda. The first victim of their cult activities in Ogidigben was an Ilaje dweller, named Ebu, who was killed during a fight between John Okpeyor Daje’s cult boys led by Mr. Jonathan Omatseye, and Mr. Sheriff Erewa are all John Daje’s thugs in Ogidigben. The matter till date is still with the police.
The second victim was Mr. Louis Pirah who was seen as an enemy to their evil agenda and he was forcefully taken out of the community like common criminal by the thugs imported into the community by John Daje after a baseless, and unfounded allegation was levelled against him. Mr. Louis Pirah only withdrew the case from the police after an apology letter was written by the community to him.
The third (3rd) and fourth (4th) of their victims of John Okpeyor Daje’s terror in Ogidigben was Mr. Godwin Oshof Amofoeye and Mr. Omare Ejuetami who were attacked and life-threatening injuries inflicted on them by John Daje and his hired thugs because they refused to join him on his evil deeds. Mr. Godwin Amofoeye and Omare Ejuetami were all members of the Ogidigben community census committee and they were in the community town hall having a meeting with the entire community when John Daje through one of his thugs, Sheriff Erewa instructed the Olare-Aja to order them out of the town hall meeting because they (Godwin Amofoeye and Omare Ejuetami) petitioned the signatories to the community account for misappropriating the community fund. The two men left the town hall for their respective houses, unknown to them, John Daje’s thugs trailed them to their respective houses and beat them up to the point of death, inflicting severe injuries on them. This now made the victims to petition the Nigerian Police in Zone 5, Benin City for investigation and prosecution of those involved. It took Mr. Isaiah Jeringho and some other well-meaning indigens of the community to appeal and convince the victims to withdraw the case from the police for us to settle the matter at home.
The most recent victim of John Daje and his thugs was Late Emiko Onuwaje, who was brutally killed on the 20th of December 2025 when late Emiko accompanied his brother, Mr. Emmanuel Onuwaje who is the Chairman of Ugborodo Community Management Committee to resolve concerns of threat to peace raised by Mr. Joseph Dogho who was the Vice Chairman of Ogidigben Community youth. Mr. John Daje who is the Vice Chairman of an illegal Ugborodo Trust that was set up in Warri to destabilize the community, called his thugs to prevent anyone from entering the community town hall. The thugs who were armed were in the process of preventing the Ugborodo Community Chairman from entering the community and in what Mr. Tony Edegbele called “friendly firing” shut Mr. Emiko to death. With this, I think Mr. Tony has some questions to answer with the police as regards the death of our brother, Emiko.
John Daje with support from some influential persons around the palace are hell-bent on making Ogidigben an autonomous community out of the entire Ugborodo federated communities, just to forcefully make himself the supreme leader of the community, which is resisted by the vast majority of Ogidigben community. The only way to achieve his objectives is to unleash terror on uncompromising and law abiding indigens of the community, that he and his thugs have being doing for years now and has also claimed two (2) lives so far.
*4. ALLEGATION OF ILLEGAL MILITARY MEN IN OGIDIGBEN BY JOHN O. DAJE*
We will like to bring to the notice of the general public that prior to the year 2021, it has never been part of SPDC conceptual agreement to include Military personnel as part of personnel on board when their sub-contractor companies are to base within the community. SPDC only have Security personnel stationed in its flow station as part of protection of their facilities. It was after John Daje started his cultism and thuggery activities from the year 2021 that SPDC made it mandatory for all companies whose personnel reside in the community to have Military personnel stationed in the sub-contractor’s yard inside the community. SPDC took this decision because of report of different cult activities, thuggery, harassment, rape and different social vices that have be-devil Ogidigben community since John Daje imported thugs to the community. This is the reason why the current contractor, Edons Nigeria Limited handling the light project is mandated to have Military personnel in Ogidigben. These Military personnel have been on ground without interfering with community issues. Their activities can be investigated. It is therefore a falsehood for anyone to alleged that they are being used during internal community issues.
The illegal security personnel that were in Ogidigben are the Mobile Police and Civil Defenses personnel that were illegally withdrawn from Delta Hawk Security Outfit in the state by an influential security official loyal to John Okpeyor Daje and very close to the palace and he illegally deployed them to Ogidigben to protect John Daje on his evil agenda in Ogidigben. Suffice to say, these security personnel were hurriedly removed from the community the very day Mr. Emiko was killed to cover their track of the illegal deployment, furthermore, as we speak, we have it on good authority that John Okpeyor Daje, Tony Edegbele and their influential government officials close to the palace are planning to attack Ugborodo, using same illegal security personnel. We are using this medium to announce to the whole world that should any breakdown of law and order happen in any of Ugborodo federated communities, John Okpeyor Daje, Tony Edegbele and their influential palace allies should be held responsible. This matter should not be treated with kid’s glove by all concerned.
*CONCLUSION*
In light of the tragic events that have plagued our community over the past four and a half years, we hereby call on all security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the death of Mr. Emiko Onuwaje. The sole purpose of this investigation is to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
This action will serve as a deterrent to others and help put a decisive end to the recurring killings fueled by cultism and thuggery. We believe that swift and firm justice is the only way to restore peace, protect innocent lives, and safeguard the future of our community.
We will also want to say emphatically here that Ogidigben community is part of the Ugborodo federated communities, this is what our forefathers handed over to us and this we shall maintained and pass it onward. Therefore, we call on all sponsors of John Daje hiding under the cover of “baba gin” and “loyal or not loyal to the palace” to cause disunity with the intention of creating an autonomous Ogidigben community to desist from it.
Finally, we must state here that Ogidigben community is part of Ugborodo Federated communities under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri. And our loyalty to the palace is not in any contention. However, Ugborodo community which Ogidgben belong to cannot be administer in Warri. The administrative power of Ugborodo Community is vested on the Eghare-Aja and the Ugborodo Council of Elders."
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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