Members of the Sand Dealers Multi-purpose Co-operative Society Ltd have accused the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Ogbueshi Dada Okonji, and his associates, Mr Victor Nnalue and Mr Dumnebi Eluaka of terrorising them.

They claimed the PDP chieftain influenced the Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, to order police officers to randomly arrest and terrorise members of the trade society.

The trade association revealed that while four members of the trade society were allegedly shot to death on the orders of Okonji, nine of them were jailed for seven years before they were discharged of all allegations by the court.

They also revealed that two of their members were arrested in 2011 and have yet to be arraigned in court even as they complained that their whereabouts have been unknown.

The traders also accused the police of conniving with the PDP Chieftain to flagrantly disobey a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.

They said, “Mr Ogbueshi Dada Okonji, his cohorts and their tribesmen have attempted to kill our leader Mr Mbadiwe Ossai (alias Jah Dave).

“They said they will never allow an Isoko man to own or do any business in the beaches in Asaba, despite the Federal High Court judgment.

“While at the federal prison Ogwashi-uku in 2011 to 2018, Mr Ogbueshi Dada Okonji sold our leader’s landed properties to his friends with the aid of police, then came mocking and boasting to our leader that we will rot in prison.

“They boasted that the Governor of Delta State, Mr Ifeanyi Okowa, was aware of our detention and in support of their atrocities, that’s why our bail was rejected.

After spending seven years and three months in prison, nine of us were discharged and acquitted of the four counts on November 28, 2018 by Hon Justice M. O Omovie of High Court 5 Asaba. We won all the cases but all the judgement and court orders granted in our favour, have not been stayed, appealed against or set aside by any Appeal Court in Nigeria, so they remain valid and subsisting till date.

“Mr Ogbueshi Dada Okonji and his cohorts shot to death four of our members – Mr Jerome Abi, Mr Kelechi Nmaku, Mr Austin Duru and Mr Chukwuma Emordi Okolotu – and also inflicted severe injuries on our leader, Mr Mbadiwe Ossai, and many of our members in 2011.

“Two of our members– Mr Louis Opiah & Mr Emma Lisa– were arrested by A.C.P Chike Nwabuwa and a team of the Police force Headquarters Abuja since 2011 but have not been seen either dead or alive till date.

“Our leader, his family and our members now live in exile – in Nigeria.

“We are pleading with all men and women of God, human rights groups, Delta State Government and the Federal Government to come to our aid and restore the dignity of rule of law which have been rubbished by the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz M. Inuwa.

“We urge the Inspector General of Police to give us justice in this matter by personally directing the Delta State Commissioner of police to obey the court orders and his directives.

“We also want the police to bring to book Mr Ogbueshi Dada Okonj, Mr Victor Nnalue, Mr Dumnebi Eluaka and to avoid anarchy that’s looming.”

©Sahara Reporters