By Paebi Uduak
The anxiety and fear in Inikorogha community alledged by those behind the August 28, 2021 publication in the Independent Newspaper Nigeria, only exist in the dark fantasy of Daniel Ezekiel, Godstime Ogidigba, Madam Potoki, and their likes. Inikorogha community is at peace save from the skirmishes that result from the nefarious activities of a gang of detractors who want to destabilize the leadership of the community and impose on the people a group of leaders who would the easily controlled by external forces. The innumerable lies and vicious accusations against Robert Okubo by Daniel Ezekiel and his group are nothing but desperate efforts to get him (Okubo) out of the way and deal with Inikorogha community as they please.
The only crime Robert Okubo has committed against these desperadoes is his continued insistence on justice, fairness, and equity for all the good people of Inikorogha community. It is ridiculous the extent these power-hungry individuals could go in making a list of deaths over a decade and fictitiously linking the deaths to one man (Robert Okubo). Whatever these men wish to achieve with these vicious falsehoods must be sinister and life-threatening. We, the executive members of the Inikorogha community duly represented by Deacon Ogidigba Robinson, Elders council chairman, Timi Robert, CDC chairman, and Mr. Christopher Imafidon, CDC secretary condemn in the strongest term the continued misrepresentation and the vicious falsehood about the state of affairs in our community by a group of desperate rabble-rousers whose intent and purpose is to cause havoc and bring unrest upon the peace-loving indigenes of Inikorogha community.
In good conscience and sincerity of purpose, we strongly advise all security agents to be wary of this group of criminals pointing accusing fingers at the innocent and law-abiding citizens of Nigeria who are from Inikorogha community. We unequivocally state that Robert Okubo is an illustrious son of Inikorogha community, a genuine freedom fighter, a law-abiding citizen who sincerely embraced the federal government amnesty program in 2009 and has since then remained very resourceful to Inikorogha community, Ovia South-West Local Government Area, and Edo State. He has been at the four front of fighting crimes and making Inikorogha community unconducive for criminal elements. It is these criminals and their sponsors that have resorted to persistent blackmail of Robert Okubo to either discourage him from the good work he is doing or subtly instigate security agencies and the government of Edo State against him (Robert Okubo).
We appeal to all security agencies to go beyond the surface and make an objective and independent investigation concerning the myriad of allegations raised by the detractors of Robert Okubo led by one Daniel Ezekiel from Delta State who has questionable psychological disposition. The only thing that explains the rationale for the magnitude of fictitious accusations against Robert Okubo by these self-styled concerned sons and daughters of Inikorogha community is the medical history of Daniel Ezekiel who serves as their unofficial spokesperson. We are not surprised that a let-loose psychiatric patient from Delta State champions the activities of the concerned sons and daughters of Inikorogha community in Edo State. However, we are concerned about the dignification of lies from undignified indigenes and non-indigenes of Inikorogha community through newspaper publications and petitions to security agencies. We are appalled at the rate at which people with a disturbing history of violence and criminality are taking the posture of activists. This is nothing but echoes of madness from ignoble detractors of Robert Okubo.
The 94-year old man from the community, Joseph Magbuwei was a peaceful resident of Inikorogha community till Saturday 28th August 2021, when the so-called sons and daughters of Inikorogha community stormed the community with a dozen of mobile policemen and scores of heavily armed local vigilante to set up a parallel community leadership when the tenure of the duly elected leaders of the community has not elapsed. Regrettably, those who are causing trouble are the people accusing others of crimes that only exist in their dark fantasies. These men are sponsored by Peres Ejune who was recently arrested by the IRT men of the Nigerian Police Force for illegal possession of sophisticated firearms and other related matters. His boys are still in police custody, though he, Peres Ejune managed to swindle himself out of custody. We advise him as elders of the land to be more concerned about the case he has with the police, at least for the moment.
Madam Victoria Potoki is only pained by the fact that the present leadership of Inikorogha community runs a transparent government where people are treated equally. We challenge anybody to investigate any of the accusations leveled against Robert Okubo. Felix Gbale who was said to have been shot by Okubo and his boys is still alive and of sound mind. Other people mentioned were either killed through jungle justice by communities that have nothing to do with Robert Okubo or by the police. The Nigeria police of the Edo State command has these records and on several occasions, officers of the command have testified to this fact in defense of Robert Okubo who has presented himself to the police to answer questions from several petitions sponsored by Daniel Ezekiel.
We, therefore, urge the general public, the security agencies, the Edo State government, and federal authorities to objectively investigate or continuously ignore the malicious allegations from Daniel Ezekiel, Godstime Ogidigba, and the ignoble group of disgruntled elements who go by the name concerned sons and daughters of Inikorogha community. Furthermore, we understand the political undertone of the persecution of Robert Okubo and we appeal to everybody that is concerned, especially those in the present Edo State administration, to give peace a chance by allowing Robert Okubo to enjoy his fundamental human right of freedom of association. He must not be killed because he decided to remain in the All Progressive Congress (APC) against the wishes of those who see themselves as the political demigods in Edo State.
