- By Halimah Olamide
The Delta State Police Command has confirmed handing over the traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom, Clement Isoko to the military authorities.
Bright Edafe, spokesman of the command, said in a statement in Warri on Friday that Ikolo was among the 8 persons declared wanted by the military.
NPO Reported on Thursday that the military had declared 8 persons wanted over the March 14 killings of the 17 soldiers in Okuama community.
Among them is also a professor of Physics at the Delta State University, Ekpepo Arthur.
The embattled royal father, who had surrendered himself to the police command on Thursday in Asaba, was consequently handed over to the military authority on Friday.
King Ikolo was among the eight persons declared wanted by the military authority over the alleged recent killing of the 17 soldiers in Okuama Community in Ughelli South.
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The soldiers were allegedly ambushed and slain on March 14, 2024 while on a peace keeping mission to Okuama community.
Also declared wanted alongside the royal father were the President- General of Ewu, Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Andaowei Bakriri, Akevwru Omotegbono, Akata David, Sinclear Oghenerukevwe, Reuben
Baru and Igoli Ebi.
The Ewu traditional ruler had earlier on Thursday before surrendering himself to the police, claimed his innocence in the incident.
He expressed shock that his name as the king of the Ewu kingdom would appear in the list of wanted persons.
“I have no hand in the killings, I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody, it is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic.
“It is a serious crime against humanity and they need to look at the appropriate places and do thorough investigation to know all those who have committed this crime and bring them to book.
“I am not a party to this and I have said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through.
“As I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite those who are fighting me in the kingdom to reconcile the differences before this recent happenings.
“I barely know anything right now, I have no information, I know nothing, I am only just in the process of setting up a structure to enable me rule in the kingdom,” Ikolo said.