Delta Arms Cache Sparks Urhobo Leaders’ Outrage

The Urhobo Youth Leaders Association (UYLA) has called for the immediate and thorough prosecution of all individuals connected to the recently intercepted cache of arms reportedly traced to Delta State. The Association described the development as a grave national security concern that must not be treated with levity or political bias.

In a statement by its National President, Olorogun (Amb.) Samuel Onoriode Oghotomo (JP), and National Secretary, Olorogun Dr. Augustine Ogheneovo Atiti, UYLA demanded full transparency and accountability in the handling of the investigation. The group maintained that justice and leadership require bold and decisive action to ensure that those behind the illicit arms trade face the full weight of the law.

The Association further urged the National Security Adviser (NSA) of Nigeria, Nuhu Ribadu to strengthen coordination and intelligence sharing among the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Police Force, and the military to trace the full chain of the arms importation. It noted that a cache of weapons of such magnitude could not have travelled from Libya to Delta State without internal collaboration, and stressed the need for investigators to uncover every hidden hand behind the operation.

UYLA observed that the discovery of the weapons confirms earlier warnings from community leaders about plots to destabilise Agbarha-Ame and Okere Kingdoms of Warri South Local Government Area. It therefore called on Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify protection for the Urhobo peaceful communities in Warri and ensure that the seized arms are not linked to any ethnic or political agenda.

The youth leaders also appealed to the Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Elder Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori to demonstrate decisive leadership in addressing the matter. According to UYLA, the State cannot afford another descent into violence. “The Okere and Agbarha-Ame Kingdoms of Warri and beyond demand firm action, not silence,” the statement read, urging the Governor, as Chief Security Officer of the State, to follow the case to its logical conclusion and ensure that justice is neither compromised nor negotiated.

UYLA commended the security agencies involved in the operation, describing the arrest of the suspected gunrunner as a positive signal that the agents of violence are being exposed. The Association called on all peace-loving Deltans to remain calm and vigilant, warning that those who seek to destroy communities with guns will ultimately be undone by the truth.