The Nigerian Army has reportedly set Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State ablaze over the killing of 16 soldiers on a peace mission by the community youths.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa, ordered the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the killing of a Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers of 181 Amphibious Battalion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, who made this known in a statement on Saturday said that the military officers were killed on Thursday while on a peace mission to Okuama community in Bomadi Local Government Area of the state.
They were surrounded and killed by some youths of the community, the military noted.
Following the Chief of Defence order, a manhunt for the killers has been ongoing and some arrests have been made by the soldiers led by the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Army, Major General Jamal Abdussalam.
However, it was gathered that residents of the coastal community were said to have fled to neighbouring Ughelli for fear of reprisal by the soldiers who had been patrolling the creeks.
Daily Trust reports that many houses were on fire in the community and that the houses were burnt after residents of the coastal community fled to neighbouring Ughelli for fear of reprisal by soldiers.
Whereas it was not clearly established that the military was responsible for burning down the houses, some gunboats suspected of belonging to the Nigerian Navy, were reportedly sighted behind the houses on fire in the community.
As images and videos of the incident trended on various social media platforms, former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, also posted about the incident on X platform.
This is Okuama Community in Ewu Kingdom, Ughelli South LGA , Delta State where over a dozen military officers lost their lives this weekend. pic.twitter.com/gGUq9o607n
— James Onanefe Ibori (@JamesIbori6) March 16, 2024
With a video of burning houses, Ibori wrote, “This is Okuama Community in Ewu Kingdom, Ughelli South LGA, Delta State where over a dozen military officers lost their lives this weekend.”
Meanwhile, human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, while reacting to the incident warned against reprisals and careless breach of the rights of the innocent residents of the community.
Sowore, who condemned the killing of the military officers asked the Nigerian authorities to carry out a full-scale investigation involving international human rights organizations to bring the perpetrators of the bloody act to justice.