Delta Youth Flogged and Banished Over Facebook Criticism of NDDC Project
A viral video showing the public flogging, humiliation, and banishment of a young man in Delta State has sparked widespread outrage on social media. The victim, identified as Godspower Okedi, was reportedly assaulted in Emevor Community, Isoko North Local Government Area, following Facebook posts in which he criticised an abandoned road project linked to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and questioned the conduct of some community leaders.
The disturbing footage, widely circulated online, shows Okedi being repeatedly whipped on his back with tree branches by local youth enforcers. He was also struck on the head, forced to dance after the beating, and eventually ordered to leave the community.
Community Leaders Present During Assault
The video further shows the Emevor Community Chairman, Chief Lucky Okeremu, and the Youth Chairman, Samuel Owhoka, seated alongside other community executives while the punishment was carried out. None of those seen in the footage appeared to intervene as the assault unfolded.
According to accounts widely shared on social media, Okedi's criticism centred on stalled or abandoned NDDC road projects in Emevor, where he allegedly questioned the handling of public projects and called attention to the community's deteriorating infrastructure.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
However, local reports present another account of the events. According to community sources, the controversy also stemmed from Facebook posts in which Okedi accused community leaders of financial impropriety relating to compensation for farmers whose crops had allegedly been destroyed by herders. In one of the posts, he reportedly warned residents against accepting compensation, arguing that doing so could encourage further destruction of farmland.
He allegedly wrote, "Take note when you start collecting money from these people, you have given them the power to do and commit more havoc... Say no to bandits. Let Emevor be safe." Community leaders reportedly interpreted the post as an accusation that they were accepting money from herders in exchange for allowing unrestricted grazing within the community.
Banishment and Medical Neglect
Following the assault, Okedi was reportedly banished from Emevor and instructed to return to Ozoro, his father's hometown. Reports also indicate that he was left to pay for his own medical treatment after sustaining injuries during the attack.
The incident has since attracted condemnation from across Delta State and beyond. Reacting to the viral video, the President General of Emevor Kingdom, High Chief Emmanuel Erezih (Okpomo), distanced the kingdom from the actions captured in the footage and described the treatment meted out to Okedi as unacceptable.
Traditional Leader Condemns Actions
"It is with deep sadness and concern that I address the videos... No online post, regardless of its content, justifies the kind of treatment witnessed in those videos. Such actions are unacceptable and have no place in our community," he said.
The video has continued to generate heated reactions online, with many Nigerians describing the incident as an abuse of human rights and calling on security agencies to investigate those involved and ensure justice for the victim.
