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The Nigerian military has refuted claims of carrying out a retaliatory assault in response to the incident at Okuama, Delta State, where soldiers were reportedly killed.
Recall that a Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain, 12 soldiers and a civilian, lost their lives on Thursday, March 14 in an ambush at Okuama community.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Okuama is an Urhobo community of Ewu Kingdom in the Ughelli South local government area of Delta State
The incident occurred when the troops were responding to a crisis between Okuama and Okoloba communities.
Following the incident, a video started trending on social media, in which a community located at the bank of a river was seen to be on fire.
However, General Christopher Musa, the Defence chief has explicitly denied that any military personnel had initiated an attack on the community.
“No reprisals by the army. We are searching for the murderers and their weapon cache,” Musa said.
TNG reports the Defence Headquarters also described the video circulating on social media as fake news.
What Northern Senators said about brutal killing of soldiers in Delta
Meanwhile, the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), has condoled with the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army over the loss of personnel in the Delta killings.
Chairman of the Forum, Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
In his condolence message, Yar’adua expressed the group’s deepest condolences.
The lawmaker who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Army said ” On behalf of northern senators we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army and officers and troops of Operation Delta Safe.
“This is on the tragic loss of personnel who were killed during a peace mission to Okuama Community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta.
“The sacrifices made by our officers and soldiers on behalf of Nigeria shall not be in vain.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you, the families of the fallen heroes, and the entire armed forces as we honour the sacrifice and service of our brave personnel.”
President Bola Tinubu has directed the military high command to trace those who killed military officers and men in Delta.
Tinubu in a statement he personally signed on Sunday evening, said that any attack on members of Nigeria’s armed forces is a direct attack on the nation.
Okuama crisis: Senator calls for thorough investigation
The Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, has called for a thorough investigation into the alleged murder of 16 soldiers in Okuama Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta.
The lawmaker, in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Warri, condemned the act and described it as “a crisis taken too far”.
While calling for calm, he noted that the military operatives were on a peace mission to rescue one Mr Anthony Aboh, who was allegedly kidnapped in Okuama Community.
Thomas, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, commiserated with the military authority and families of the slain soldiers.
He called for a holistic investigation to unearth the remote causes of the crisis and urged both the state and federal governments to urgently intervene to prevent it from escalating.
“There is a need for the security agencies to go after the masterminds of the heinous crime.
“There is also the need for the military to tactically deploy intelligence in tracking the masterminds to avoid the killing of innocent people in Okuama Community.
“I commiserate with the military authority, families of the slain soldiers as well as others who may have lost their loved ones to the crisis.
“I urge the people of Okuama Community to assist the military to fish out the killers of the gallant soldiers,” Thomas said.
The Nigerian Army had in a statement issued on Saturday confirmed the death of 16 soldiers in the conflict between the military and youths of the community.
According to the statement issued by the acting Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, a Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain, and 12 other soldiers were affected.
They were said to be of the 181 Amphibious Battalion in Bomadi LGA of Delta.