THE ORU REFUGEE BREATHES AIR OF ANARCHY:


 

 

 

Boye “Dino Zoff” Cooper

 

By: Ernest G. Smith Jr. & Mantue S. Reeves



The international refugee community at Oru refugee camp in Oru-Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria on the fateful morning of Thursday 3rd of June 2004 awoke amidst loud noise and chanting from angry mob of refugees. They rioted in protest of the untimely death of former Liberian legendary goal keeper Boye “Dino Zoff” Cooper who according to eye-witnesses (refugee) died as the result of the camp commandant refusal to rush him to the Ogun state University Teaching Hospital at Sagamu, Ogun State. According to reliable sources, such act has been committed several times by the camp commandant, which led to the death of three persons (refugees).

Refugees’ sources revealed that the fallen hero who did suffer a brief illness was taken to the camp clinic during the late hour of Wednesday 2nd June 2004 for treatment. Upon his arrival at the clinic, he was examined by a trainee nurse (David as commonly called by the resident) who indicated that he wasn’t equipped technically to handle the situation; therefore the decease that was taken alive should be taken to the Ogun state University teaching Hospital at Sagamu where medical cases beyond the prowess of camp clinic are being treated.

With a very high passion of ensuring that “Dino” be adequate treated, well wishers and relatives swiftly went to the home (about 100meter 150 seconds walk from the clinic) of the camp commandant in an effort to get him aware of happening so as to made available the camp ambulance (which parks in his yard) in order to get Boye Cooper rush to the Sagamu for advanced medical attentions. It is gathered the Mr. Lawrence O. Yewga entered the ambulance, started it and got out announcing its lack of petrol. The same action was repeated with his official car (a four-wheel drive jeep donated by the UNHCR).

Having failed to convey the late soccer idol for needed treatment, fans and love ones who have converged around Mr. Yewga’s home heavy heartedly proceeded to the clinic where our former national arch goal tender was left at the mercy of an unqualified nurse. While “Dino” was still helplessly lying, his well wishers asked the Red Cross Representative (Solomon Ekah ) to give out them the tranfer letter which is always presented at Shagamu before treatment is administered but sources also revealed that he refused despite the fact that an ordinary Liberian did volunteered to use his car. It was during the course of his second attempt to treat Cooper that according to eye witnesses the then nervous internship nurse administered some dozes of injection including one in his chest. The injection was administered despite the many pleas of the deceased who indicated that the nurse wasn’t qualified enough to inject him. Report amongst eyewitnesses revealed that the “Dino Zoff” was overpowered on the order of the nurse as he injected the Liberian Soccer hero. Few minutes after the injection, Boye “Dino Zoff” Cooper with much agony gave up the ghost precisely at 1:36Am as grief -engulfed comrades and sympathizers stare with their tears- loaded eyes.

After regrouping around 7:00am(on the morning of June 3, 2004) and getting factual hints that the both cars did indeed contain enough petrol to timely drive “Dino” to Sagamu, the refugee furiously went on the rampage, ransacked and looted the almost emptied warehouse. Sensing the danger the executives of the Liberian refugee Welfare Council intervened, recovered most of the looted items and contacted higher authorities of the police, the Local government, the UNHCR, the Nigerian Red cross Society, the Federal commission for refugee who visited the camp and restored a brief order which was disrupted by the police who fired tear gas rounds to disburse a small group of women who were waving tree branches and chanting revolutionary songs.



As the night of June 3, 2004 fell, the looting and ransacking were yet to be ended as during the very late hours refugees burst into the residence of the camp commandant and made way away with relief stoves, pots, blankets, beverages, etc which were stock piled for a very long time. This time the police was alerted and arrests were made on the scene, but some innocent ones were arrested.

Again realizing the dark pictures that such occurrence might paint to the world, the Liberian Refugee Welfare Council Chairman Fred C. Lamadine led a team of concerned refugee youths who rounded up some of the suspects. At least ten refugees are presently being detained at the Ijebu-Igbo Central Prison at Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State; their present condition is unknown, as the prison authority has stopped the detainees’ family member and friends from seeing them.

The latest of event have resulted into the camp entire managerial staff evacuation; reliable sources have hinted that the entire staff has been either transferred or sacked. Everyone is now his own commandant as essential services like clinical services, counseling, the discussion of official matter with the camp management, receiving of letters from commandant’s office for receiving money from Western Union, etc have all being shut down.

An elderly woman called Ma Mary, the mother of one of the innocent detainees, during the police round up said her sixteen-year-old daughter came out to urinate when she was arrested and being detained for the past four days. She’s calling on the UNHCR, Amnesty International and other human right organization to come to the aid of those innocent refugees who are being detained.

According to an authentic source from the camp executives, the detainees are to face court trial after which they will be persecuted sooner.