Clement Ikolo Oghenerukvwe, the traditional ruler of the Ewu kingdom, who voluntarily surrendered during investigations into the killing of 17 military officers in Okuoma, Delta State, has been released by the Nigerian Army. In a brief ceremony held at the Nigerian Army Headquarters in Abuja, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, handed him over to Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central.

General Nwachukwu stated that after a thorough review of available information, the Army’s preliminary findings do not definitively implicate the traditional ruler. However, there is insufficient evidence to absolve anyone entirely at this stage. The release was facilitated by prominent individuals’ intervention, coupled with the monarch’s voluntary surrender, with the condition that he continues to cooperate in the ongoing investigations.

While urging other suspects to come forward for questioning, the Army emphasized the importance of assisting with investigations. The traditional ruler surrendered himself shortly after being declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters, along with seven others, for their alleged involvement in the killing of the military personnel during a peacekeeping mission to Delta State in March.

The incident occurred on March 14 in Okuama community, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, where 17 military personnel, including two majors, one captain, and 13 soldiers of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, were brutally murdered. Their deaths stemmed from a response to a distress call amid a communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities, escalating into a violent confrontation that led to the soldiers’ ambush by irate youths. The tragic event culminated in a solemn burial ceremony attended by President Bola Tinubu at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja on March 27.