Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Area Command Headquarter of the Nigeria Police Force in Otukpa, Benue State has released an official report, clearing the executive chairman of Ado Local Government, Engineer Oche Sunday Oche of any wrong doing, following a petition filed some months ago by the Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mrs Lami Danladi Ogenyi.
Mrs Lami Danladi had few months ago filed a petition during a Plenary Session of the House of Assembly, accusing Mr. Oche of allegedly engaging in criminal activities that were causing immense hardship and perpetual fear among the people of the area.
The Deputy Speaker specifically accused the council chairman of setting up an illegal Special Team with an illegal detention cell in a forest in obioge village where they keep their abductors and kidnapped victims until ransom is paid.
This petition from the deputy speaker led the State House of Assembly to constitute a five-member ad-hoc committee led by Hon. Shimawua Emmanuel Terna of Kyan Constituency to investigate the criminal allegations.
During its findings, Hon. Terna’s Committee reported back to the House of Assembly that the council chairman wasn’t found wanting in all the allegations made against him by the deputy speaker.
Following the report of the ad-hoc committee, the leadership of the House of Assembly sent a petition to the Office of the State Commissioner of Police to also investigate the allegations. The Office of the Commissioner of Police immediately directed the Police Area Command in Otukpa to carry out a detailed investigation where it was discovered through an official police report signed and sent back to the Office of the Police Commissioner in Benue state by the Area Commander, ACP Cosmas Eze on October 1, 2025 that no prime facie evidence has been adduced against the council chairman from the investigations and findings of the Special Investigation Team.
A true certified copy of the police report with Reference Number CB:0900/BNS/KPA/VOL.10/24 dated 1st October, 2025 and signed by ACP Cosmas Eze, the Area Commander of Otukpa Area Command Headquarter reads: “Immediately this case was referred to the Area Command Otukpa by the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, investigation commenced, scene of the crime Ubioge community in Ado Local the Area was visited by a team of Police men lead by the Area Crime Officer DSP Joel Iyanya.
“Members of the community were summoned on their market square Ubioge – Ijigban Izzi Igumale under Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.They were interviewed, they all said that since the existence of Ubioge Ijigban Izzi community, they have never one day recorded any case of kidnap, rape, torture or extortion in their community, among the community two persons Okeme Emmanuel ‘M’ and Blessing Nwafor ‘F’ volunteered statements to the police as follows;
“OKEME EMMANUEL: He made statement to Police and in his statement, he stated that he is a free born of Ubioge- Ijigban Izzi in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, he is 52 years aged, he was brought up in Ubioge community, since his sojourn in the community he had never witnessed any case of kidnapping,rape, torture or extortion of money from any body in the community. He further stated that the community has no forest, he only knows the present of Ado Local Government Council Chairman Hon Oche Sunday during his chairmanship campaign became the chairman of Ado Local Government Council after he never set his eyes on him , he always heard of his good works in Ado Local Government Area, that there is peace in his community.
BLESSING NWAFOR ‘F’. She made statement to the police and in her statement, she stated that she hails from Ubioge Ijigban Izzi community, she is 44 years now, her statement collaborated the statement of Okeme Emmanuel. She further stated that she is the leader of Ubioge Ijigban Izzi Women Meeting which held every 4 days of the week, that never a day did the community record a case of armed robbery, rape, kidnapping, torture or extortion of assault to death of any one in their community, that the community is peaceful.
“All track roads, within the community were toured and snapped including their small market where they planted only mango trees, it was discovered that Ubioge community has no forest. During investigation, all efforts made for Benue State House of Assembly to substantiate their allegations against the Executive Chairman of Ado Local Government Area Hon Oche Sunday proved abortive”
In his reaction to the report, the council chairman called on the leadership of the State House of Assembly to call the deputy speaker to order for misleading the Honorable House, the Police, the State government and the public with her false allegation that he was operating an illegal detention cell in Obioye.
He alleged that the Deputy Speaker is “desperate to take over Ado Local Government for her political favour and selfishness,” and that this motive explains her persistent sponsorship of petitions and media attacks against him.
He said: “She has also sent petitions against me to ICPC, EFCC, the IGP, the Governor, the party, the Bureau and all imaginable organs of government. At the last count, she has filed over 168 petitions against the Chairman, all of which were dismissed. She also sponsored court cases against Chairman Hon. Engr. Sunny Oche, and he was discharged and acquitted in all the cases.
“To the glory of God, I have always defeated her and her political cohorts. My focus is on delivering good governance to the people of Ado. We are ready, able, and willing to re‑elect Governor Alia and President Tinubu in 2027. I am a winner”
Recall that the ad-hoc committee led by Hon. Shimawua Emmanuel Terna had earlier discovered that revenue generation under Hon. Engr. Oche Sunday has risen from ₦970,000 which his two predecessors that were appointed by the deputy speaker as caretaker chairmen got in two years to over ₦8 million in just six months that he assumed duties as the council chairman .
Also, earlier investigation revealed that the local government revenue was paid into private accounts suspected to be owned by the deputy speaker’s husband during the period when the Deputy Speaker was in charge of the Local Government Council.
Meanwhile, during an earlier investigation by the IGP Special Team led by CSP Mannase Orhena, a witness from Obioge testified that the chairman has brought peace to the community and, within a very short period, ended the conflict between Ezza and Effiom communities in Ado Local Government.
In her testimony, she described Oche as a very prudent, honest, highly intelligent, fearless, calm and soft‑spoken personality.