By Austin Ogwuda
OUTSPOKEN Ovie of Umiaghwa Abraka kingdom in Ethiope East local government area of Delta State, Nigeria, His Royal Majesty Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Lucky Ochuko Ararile (rtd.), has advocated the need for various security outfits in the country to stick to their roles rather than usurping other functions reserved for other sister agencies.
He was speaking spoke at a Thanksgiving Service held at the First Baptist Church, Oria to mark his 12 years on the throne.
According to him the issue of engaging in the division of labour amongst security agencies is very important to avoid such heavy casualties recorded during the recent bloodbath at Okuama.
Said he, “In Nigeria, the Army does the job of the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) does the job of everyone else. The only job that others cannot do is that of the Airforce because they cannot fly planes”.
“Even amongst the same security outfits, some persons are not allowed to do their jobs. For instance, in a murder case moved out of Abraka to Abuja, how do you move witnesses there too during a Police investigation?
“If the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) does not have what it takes to complete such an investigation, Abuja should give him the needed backing and not move cases out and in some cases release suspects”.
The monarch also expressed surprise about the brutal way the Soldiers were slaughtered in cold blood, saying that was alien to Urhobo land.
“The way the Soldiers were killed was not in tandem with the culture of Urhobo and other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta.
No ethnic group in the Niger Delta has it as a culture to desecrate the bodies of the dead. We don’t chop off people’s heads, remove their hearts or dismember it”, he insisted.
He called on the President of the country, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the Military to vacate Okuama “as residents need to return back and try to get their lives back and start rebuilding”.
Source: Punch