Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, the President General of Ewu Kingdom, was apprehended by individuals in military uniform at an undisclosed location in Sapele on Sunday night, with his current whereabouts unknown.
On Monday morning, Chief Belvis Adogbo and Dennis Akugbaye, leaders of the Okuama community, were also arrested by armed men in plain clothes at different locations in Ughelli, according to a Vanguard source.
An anonymous Okuama leader suggested that these arrests might be linked to a March incident in which 17 military personnel were killed.
The leader expressed uncertainty about the motives behind the arrests, which are suspected to involve operatives from the Department of State Services, DSS,.
The arrests come at a time when peace was beginning to return to the affected community, with the Delta State government planning to resettle displaced residents.
There has been no official statement from security agencies, and a senior police officer indicated they were unaware of the situation.
It is important to recall that in March 2024, Okuama was devastated by a reprisal attack by the Nigerian Army, following the killing of 17 soldiers near the community.
The attack resulted in the destruction of all buildings, including hospitals, schools, and private properties.