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Inside Details Of The Many Posers Trailing The Bloody Onslaught On Troops In Delta

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Twists and counter twist have continued to trail the bloody clash between soldiers and irate youths in Okuama community, Delta State, which had resulted in a devastating retaliation by the military.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) reports that after the reported killing of 15 soldiers during the fracas, military troops from the Nigerian Army’s joint task force, 6 division, reportedly stormed Okuama community and launched a violent attack, shelling and bombing houses.

It was gathered that the soldiers were apparently out in retaliation for the ambush and killing of their colleagues, who were on a purported mission following a communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities.

In a distressing video footage on social media, thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from several buildings within the community, accompanied by flames flickering in the distance. Amidst the chaos, ominous warnings could be heard in the background.

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Latest reports have confirmed the grim discovery of 14 “beheaded” corpses, some displaying signs of mutilation, further exacerbating the already tense situation. In fear of reprisal attacks from military forces, numerous residents have fled their homes, seeking refuge elsewhere.

Amidst the chaos, military troops have intensified the manhunt for those responsible for the deadly attack on the military personnel.

The troops of the Nigerian Army were said to have as of Sunday conducting heavy military combing of neighbouring Urhobo communities and had advanced into Olota community, which is seen as a potential target.

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Dependable sources revealed that the situation has caused fear and panic among the residents of Okuama community, who have fled to neighboring Ughelli for safety, anticipating possible reprisals from the soldiers.

The incident which broke out on Thursday, March 14, 2024, has continued to sparked controversy and conflicting narratives.

A member of the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu, representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, in his reaction, condemned the killings and called for a thorough investigation to bring the culprits to justice.

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Mutu dispelled rumors linking the Ijaw community to the crime, emphasizing that the indigenes of Okuama were responsible for the heinous act.

He, however disclosed that two contingent of troops of Nigerian Army were actually deployed separately on the purported peace keeping mission in Okuama.

Although he failed to disclosed who authorized the deployment of troops of such caliber of officers to quell a communal crisis, Mutu hinted that the troop were deployed to investigate the killing of an Okoloba boy, but were ambushed and wilfully murdered in cold-blood in Okuama.

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In a statement he released on Sunday, Mutu, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Gas, described the Thursday’s killing of 16 soldiers by some irate youths suspected to be from Okuama community , an Urhobo enclave in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state as “barbaric and inhuman.”

Mutu, who is also the Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Carcus in the House of Representatives, said the killings of the 16 solders, including a Lt. Col, 2 Majors and one Captain of the Nigerian Army, on a peace keeping assignment in the Urhobo community was “senseless and embarrassing.”

Mutu challenged all relevant security agencies to work round the clocks to fish out the killers and bring them to justice.

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He warned that the suspected attackers should not escape justice in order to serve as deterrent to those who may be planning to indulge in such heinous crime in the future.

He condoled the families of the fallen soldiers, the Nigerian Army as well as the Armed Forces on the tragic development. He prayed God to grant the repose of the souls of the gallant soldiers, who were gruesomely murdered while performing patriotic national assignments.

The lawmaker, frowned at purported distortion of facts of the incident in a section of the media, which linked the fate of the soldiers to Ijaw militias in Okoloba, an Ijaw community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta state.

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“This is far from truth of the incident. The Ijaw is not in anyway linked or connected to this unjustifiable barbaric and inhuman and condemnable act.”

“The facts of the matter are with all appropriate security agencies and they are in fact in public domain. The indigenes of Okuama are responsible for these senseless killings. Two contingent of troops of Nigerian Army who were deployed separately on peace keeping mission in Okuama, particularly to investigate the killing of an Okoloba boy, were ambushed and wilfully murdered in cold-blood in Okuama.”

“Their headless and dismembered remains were recovered in the waters of Okuama Community , which is the scene of the crime.”

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“It’s therefore callous and indiscretionary to link the Ijaw to this heinous crime, which is a national embarrassment. It’s wrong for a section of the press to link the innocent Ijaw people to this crime and I seize this medium to debunk such irresponsible reports on the incident.

“I condemn the reports linking the Ijaw with this crime and call on the authors of such falsehood to retract them and apologise to the Ijaw nation, forthwith.”

“I also wish to implore all relevant security agencies to ensure that no stone is left unturned to arrest these criminals and prosecute them to attone for the sins they have committed against humanity.”

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“I console with the families of these fallen soldiers, Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces in general, over this tragic incident. May the Almighty God grant the repose of their souls, amen.”

However, some Okuama residents have come forward to deny the killing of soldiers, alleging that the attackers were mercenaries working for a private security company.

They claim that the mercenaries, dressed in Army uniforms, invaded the community, resulting in the loss of many lives and the destruction of homes.

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The indigenes alleged serious conspiracy against the military by elements who wants to pin the crime on Okuoma, insisting that they mere fishermen and potato farmers and could not have gotten the kind of guns to fight, talk less to killed a whole 15 Army officers.

An indigene of Okuama community, who simply gave his name as Onajite Idiaphoro, in an interview with newsmen, said; “We were holding our regular Community meeting on Thursday when some men in Army uniforms, carried by on a gunboat used by this private security company invaded the meeting demanding to see our community chairman.

“As soon as our chairman was identified, the men said that they were taking him to Bomadi for questioning but the community women resisted the approach because Okuama is under Ughelli South Local Government Area and the chairman did not commit any crime neither the community that demands military invasion.

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“The men started shooting killing two persons instantly and injuring many persons before driving away.”

Mr Idiaphoro said that after the first shooting, residents of the community, especially the men started moving out fearing the worst could happen later.

“After four hours later, the men came back with many gunboats, shooting sporadically into the community and killing many persons including women and children before burning houses,” he lamented.

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“How our people who are mere fishermen and potato farmers have guns to fight, talk less killed a whole 15 Army officers as wrongly reported? he queried in a emotion laden voice.

Continuing, Idiaphoro bursted into tears saying, “Okuama community has been at the receiving end of the crisis with Okoloba, accusing a former NIMASA boss for being responsible for the onslaught.

He, however, called on President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and the Chief of Army Staff to immediately halt the invasion of their community and set up a panel of inquiry to unravel the true killers of the reported 15 soldiers.

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Reacting to the onslaught, the Urhobo Media Practitioners Advocacy Group (UMPAG), expressed shock and condemned the killing of the military personnel and some indigenes of Okuama community.

The group which raised several posers over the incident, called for an independent investigation and urged the Delta State Government and the Nigerian Army to establish a joint panel of inquiry to uncover the truth behind the incident.

The group said that as a body of trained media workers, “we condemn in strong terms the killing of the military personnel and some indigenes of the Okuama community”.

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According to the group, “from information available to us, there is a grand conspiracy to twist the facts of the bizarre incident to paint one party as savages and adjudge another as saints”.

The group noted that from its findings, the incident is coming on the heels of the renewed crisis over a land dispute between Okuama community in Ughelli South and Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Areas of the state.

UMPAG, in a statement signed by Mr. Onojeghen Theophilus Okpare, its Secretary and Mr. Shedrack Onitsha, Executive Member, maintained that the Urhobos of Okuama community in Ewu Kingdom have lived peacefully with their Okoloba neighbours for ages, saying that “both communities have robust inter-marriages and can even speak both Urhobo and Ijaw languages fluently”.

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The statement reads: “We have also been informed that leading from the killings of the personnel, Okuama community has been completely razed down by angry soldiers. The situation has sacked peace and law abiding citizens of Okuama community, especially when it has not been established that Okuama youths were responsible for this gruesome killing of the military men. This, too, we strongly condemn in strong terms.

“While we commiserate with the Nigerian military, the Federal Government and the Delta State Government on the unwarranted killing of these personnel, we join other Nigerians to demand for an independent investigation and arrest of the culprits.

“To this end, we call on the Delta State Government and the Nigerian Army to urgently constitute a joint panel of enquiry to unravel the cause and what led to the killing of the soldiers on the said peace mission to Okuama and Okoloba communities.

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“Falling from information available to us, we demand that the panel probe the following areas:

1. What was the true mission of the soldiers to Okuama and Okoloba communities?

2. Was the Ovie (King) of Ewu Kingdom and her subjects informed of the military visit on a peace mission?

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3. Was the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, informed of the PEACE mission?

4. Why did the situation report come from DPO Bomadi, and not DPO, Otu-Jeremi?

6. Why would the military, stationed in Bomadi, embark on a “PEACE” mission to Okuama in Ughelli South, without the involvement of DPO Jeremi, and local government officials?

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7. Why was the military “PEACE” mission escorted by Ijaw youths?

8. How come, that civilian members of the “PEACE” mission survived to tell the story, yet no military man survived?

9. If the King, PG, DPO Jeremi, LG officials were not involved, who were those to sign the peace accord?

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10. Why did the situation report come from DPO Bomadi, and not DPO, Otu-Jeremi?

11. Where did the community source such sophisticated weapons to wage such war against the military men?

12. Why were the police, DSS and other sister security agencies not involved in the military peace mission to Okuama?

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13. Why was the military peace mission only for the Okuama community?

14. From the reports, the bodies of the slain military personnel were recovered from the Forcados River. Who dumped the bodies in the River?

15. Are we not sure that warlords from neighbouring areas were responsible for the attack on soldiers?

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16. Was Okuama and Okoloba at war for 16 soldiers to be gruesomely killed in less than 24hrs?

17. Who were the civilians that took the military to Okuama as quoted in the report by Sunday Bomadi Chancel who had earlier claimed over 22 soldiers were killed? Who were the Ijaw civilians who accompanied the soldiers to Okuama? How come they survived while the soldiers were killed?

18. There are many mindboggling questions to be asked on the incident.

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“From the foregoing, we call on the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and the Nigerian military to thoroughly investigate the attack on the soldiers and the people of Okuama community.

“As media professionals, we are mediators and peace advocates; we therefore call on our people in Okuama community and our Ijaw brothers in Okoloba community to maintain the existing peace, while the Government and the military get to the root of this tragedy.

“We use this medium to call on the military to refrain from assaulting peace and law-abiding citizens of the area in face of the recent development. We also urge parties involved in the communal crisis to refrain from making unguarded statements so as not to fuel the crisis”, the statement added.

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BIGPEN NIGERIA recalls that Tukur Gusau, the director of information at the defence headquarters, had disclosed in a statement on Saturday that the fallen personnel included a lieutenant colonel, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers. They were ambushed and killed by local youths on Thursday while responding to a distress call arising from a communal crisis between the Okuoma and Okoloba communities.

Below are pictures of residents of Okuama that were shot during the offensive.

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