Amen Edore Oyakhire
Encyclopedia
Prince Amen Edore Oyakhire was the Military Administrator of Taraba State
, Nigeria
between August 1996 and August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha
. He was then administrator of Oyo State
during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar
, handing over to the elected civilian governor Lam Onaolapo Adesina in May 1999 at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic
.
He was the Police Commissioner, Plateau State Command before being appointed administrator of Taraba State.
In Taraba State, Oyakhire had to deal with hostilities between the Kuteb
and Chamba
and Jukun
ethnic groups.
In October 1997 he sent a paper called Comprehensive brief on the Chieftaincy Stool of Takum Chiefdom Taraba State to the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
That month seven people were killed and seven houses razed in communal violence, and 31 people were arrested.
Oyakhire said anyone suspected of involvement in the communal violence would be treated as detractors of the transition to civil rule.
In 1998 the Taraba State Government also set up a Peace Committee which managed to negotiate a temporary peace between the ethnic groups.
Shortly before the handover to civilian government in May 1999, Oyakhire told a U.S. Embassy observer team that "Power is to be handed over to credible people who have the fear of God in their hearts, and this will ensure the stability of the nation".
In August 1999 the Oyo State government asked the army to help recover property allegedly stolen by the Oyakhire and his aides, including vehicles and electronic gadgets. The request was refused.
In December 1999 his house in Lagos was raided by armed robbers who stole property worth several million naira.
An article on witchcraft published in The Daily Independent reported that 27 people were killed in Ozalla, Edo State on 4 November 2004. The article said the Ozalla massacre was triggered by a letter from Oyakhire blaming witches in the community for his inability to afford a suitable home in the town, for non-payment of his police pension and for insanity among his children.
Taraba State
Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
between August 1996 and August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
. He was then administrator of Oyo State
Oyo State
Ọyọ State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east by Osun State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west partly by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin....
during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar is a Nigerian general who was President of Nigeria from June 9, 1998 until May 29, 1999. He succeeded Sani Abacha upon Abacha's death. It was during Abubakar's leadership that Nigeria adopted its new constitution on May 5, 1999, which provided for multiparty...
, handing over to the elected civilian governor Lam Onaolapo Adesina in May 1999 at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic
Nigerian Fourth Republic
The Fourth Republic is the republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999 it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and 1983 and suffers many of the same problems, such as multiple...
.
Police career
Oyakhire was a commissioner of police, later an Assistant Inspector General (AIG).He was the Police Commissioner, Plateau State Command before being appointed administrator of Taraba State.
In Taraba State, Oyakhire had to deal with hostilities between the Kuteb
Kuteb people
The Kuteb people are an ethno-linguistic group in West Africa, who speak a Jukunoid language. Most of the Kuteb live in Taraba State, Nigeria....
and Chamba
Chamba people
The Chamba people of Nigeria and Cameroon that speak two distantly related languages: Chamba Leko, of the Leko–Nimbari languages, and Chamba Daka, of the Dakoid languages...
and Jukun
Jukun people (West Africa)
Jukun are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. The Jukun are traditionally located in Taraba State, Nigeria and parts of northwestern Cameroon. They are descendants of the people of the Kwararafa kingdom. most of the tribes in the north central of Nigeria trace their origin to...
ethnic groups.
In October 1997 he sent a paper called Comprehensive brief on the Chieftaincy Stool of Takum Chiefdom Taraba State to the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
That month seven people were killed and seven houses razed in communal violence, and 31 people were arrested.
Oyakhire said anyone suspected of involvement in the communal violence would be treated as detractors of the transition to civil rule.
In 1998 the Taraba State Government also set up a Peace Committee which managed to negotiate a temporary peace between the ethnic groups.
Shortly before the handover to civilian government in May 1999, Oyakhire told a U.S. Embassy observer team that "Power is to be handed over to credible people who have the fear of God in their hearts, and this will ensure the stability of the nation".
Later career
Oyakhire was made to retire in June 1999 along with all other governors in the previous military regime.In August 1999 the Oyo State government asked the army to help recover property allegedly stolen by the Oyakhire and his aides, including vehicles and electronic gadgets. The request was refused.
In December 1999 his house in Lagos was raided by armed robbers who stole property worth several million naira.
An article on witchcraft published in The Daily Independent reported that 27 people were killed in Ozalla, Edo State on 4 November 2004. The article said the Ozalla massacre was triggered by a letter from Oyakhire blaming witches in the community for his inability to afford a suitable home in the town, for non-payment of his police pension and for insanity among his children.