The Owelle of Onicha-Olona, Chief Jerry Nkeweshe, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, demanding a retraction of the statement linking him to the alleged killing of three youths in Asaba. He warned that failure to withdraw the allegation and issue a public clarification would compel him to initiate legal proceedings for defamation, malicious falsehood, and abuse of office.
The Delta State Police Command had earlier declared a manhunt for Nkeweshe and others accused of leading an armed group that allegedly attacked Okwe community on November 24, resulting in the deaths of three youths.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, the command claimed preliminary investigations suggested that Nkeweshe led vigilantes and suspected cultists—some reportedly dressed in military camouflage—to a disputed parcel of land along the Asaba–Onitsha Highway in a violent attempt to assert ownership.
Reacting through his lawyer, Kelechi Nnadi, on Thursday, Nkeweshe denied any involvement, describing the police report as false, damaging, and malicious.
Nnadi insisted the police must publicly clear his client of the allegation within 14 days or face lawsuits and petitions before the Police Service Commission and other oversight bodies. “We hereby issue a 14-day ultimatum to the Commissioner of Police and the Police Public Relations Officer to retract the false and defamatory publication and provide a public clarification exonerating our client,” he said.
He further challenged the police to obtain Nkeweshe’s GSM location data for November 24 to verify his whereabouts.
According to the lawyer, Nkeweshe was not in Okwe or anywhere within Asaba on the day of the incident. He explained that the chief left Asaba at about 8:30 a.m. for medical attention in Umunede, where he reportedly spent the entire day with witnesses, including Ifeanyi Okolo and Emmanuel Anwuzia. Nkeweshe later returned to Asaba in the evening and proceeded directly to his lawyer’s office for a briefing ahead of a scheduled court matter on November 25 at the Delta State High Court, Issele-Uku.
“It is therefore impossible for him to have participated in or led any armed group in Okwe on November 24,” the lawyer stressed.
Nnadi also called on the Commissioner of Police to explain his role in the unfolding events, including allegations that meetings with interested parties were held in his office, one said to have taken place on November 19.
He reiterated the demand for a transparent, impartial, and lawful investigation into the killings, urging law enforcement agencies to stop dragging innocent people into matters with which they have no connection.
Credit: Punch
