On December 9th, 2025, some Osokom youths with fresh palm leaves tied to their necks invaded the premises of the High Court of Okundi chanting war songs and disrupted the court’s proceedings because some Applicants sued one Victor Odok, the Osokom Development Council (ODC) Chairman and his cohorts for flagrant violation of their fundamental rights.
They threatened that someone would die immediately if one of the palm leaves on their necks was cut by anyone.
The presiding Judge who was visibly apprehensive, suspended sitting and went into his chambers while the Lawyers in court were mostly Osokom sons like myself, Shola Odu, Esq. Hilary Bisong, Esq. Ebu Emmanuel, Esq. and Eyare Obi tried to appease the youths.
Some of ODC youths descended on the Judge’s driver and orderly (who are also Osokom sons) and got them well beaten right in front of the Judge. Later, the court resumed session and the said fundamental rights matter Hk/5F/2025 was called. The Clan Head of Bafin and other chiefs applied for permission to settle the matter out of court, which request was granted by the Judge and the matter was adjourned to January 21, 2026 for report of settlement.
While other matters for the day were being attended to, the Judge was informed that the youths have deflated the tyres of the Sienna Bus of the 1st applicant Michael odu Osang and the car of the Clan Head of Bafin. They also ordered the 5th applicant to sit down on the floor in front of the court.The Judge ordered them to inflate the tyres immediately, but they only inflated the tyres of the Clan Head car leaving that of the 1st applicant.
While the 1st applicant went out to inspect his vehicle he was “kidnapped” in a gestapo style and thoroughly beaten in the court premises by the rampaging ODC youths and taken to Mbok junction on exile.
The Judge ordered the DPO of Okundi with his men to follow up to save the 1st applicant with the assistance of the soldiers at the Eshiagurube checkpoint.
The youths attacked the policemen and vandalized the DPO’s car and seized 4 rifles with ammunition from the soldiers and in the process of struggling the guns with the soldiers one of the youths got killed.
The Youths now blocked the Highway to Ekpugrinya while some of them returned to the Court and burned the Sienna Bus of the 1st applicant but before they arrived Okundi the Court rose and the Judge and the Lawyers took Kakwagom/Bawop road to Mbube and escaped to Ogoja Junction.
The NBA Ikom Branch while sending its condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased, totally condemned the actions of the OSOKOM YOUTHS as a show of shame and assault on Boki civilization as it portents a gradual, gradual descent to the reign of anarchy and terrorism as witnessed in the recent epoch of General Iron.
Human Rights remain the bastion of modern civilization and democracy. No cultural group or tradition is higher than the Nigerian Constitution and the Law Courts. Even an illustrious son of Osokom like Tony A A. who tried to talk to the Youths was booed and his car received some stones and missiles.
We call all well-meaning people of Osokom and Boki in general to rise up in unison to condemn this show of shame and barbarism and the Law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book. The time to act is now before anarchy and terrorism become our new reality.
Tah Edwardson Offre, Esq. is the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikom branch.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Tah Edwardson Offre, Esq., and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch.
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