Okoloba Community Denies Involvement In Military Visit To Okuama

Tensions have escalated between Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State, following a visit by the Nigerian Army to Okuama on September 9, 2024.

This is coming as Okoloba leaders say Okuama community allegedly launched fresh attacks on them, hours after Nigerian Army visited Okuama. Okuama people had alleged that Okoloba leaders were behind the army alleged invasion.

But Okoloba community leaders deny any involvement with the military visit, which they claim was misconstrued by Okuama residents.

Okoloba’s chairman, Clement Koki, who tasked Delta State Government to identify root cause and provide lasting solution to the Okuama/Okoloba rift, in a statement, said Okuama people “unfortunately launched attacks believing the falsehoods spread by 5th columnists and a section of the media” that Okoloba people mastermimded the military visit.

Koki, said Okoloba people were equally traumatized victims of the March 2024 killing of military personnel, were also jolted from sleep on September 9, 2024 by convoy of military boats and arsenal along the Forcados river from the Warri axis.

Okoloba people, he said, ran for cover until the soldiers returned from Okuama and went back to the Warri end.

He noted: “Okoloba Federated Community takes serious exception to our being linked to the movement and operations of the Nigerian Army on 9th September, 2024 in Okuama.

“We will not hesitate to take very necessary drastic legal action against any person, group of persons, mischief makers, fifth columnists alike, including media houses and personalities, who persist in the deliberate game of blackmailing our good reputation as a community by portraying us as the masterminds of the military operation or any wrong impressions now, in the past or in the future”.

Koki, who said Okoloba community was committed to the Okoloba-Okuama peace building process, tasked all security agencies to be alert and stop escalation of the renewed hostilities.

The Okoloba Chairman, however appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and security agencies to intervene and restore peace.

He emphasized that Okoloba was committed to the peace-building process and had suffered equally in the March 2024 killing of 17 military personnel.

Koki condemned Okuama’s attacks on Okoloba people, citing instances of violence and intimidation. He referenced a statement by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, clarifying the military’s mission to apprehend those responsible for the killings.

Stressing that Okoloba, an agrarian community, does not hold capacity to determine and control Nigerian military movements, Koki, advised Okuama people to desist from what will jeopardize the peace-building process.