Residents of Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State who fled into the bush where they have been hiding since March 14, yesterday, narrated how soldiers surprisingly opened fire on them and allegedly killed about 50 persons.
This came as soldiers backed by seven gunboats, on Sunday, invaded the riverside town of Igbomotoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, allegedly in search of suspected militants and razed three buildings.
This is even as Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, visited the embattled Okuama community, yesterday, four days after 16 military personnel, including a lieutenant-colonel, lost their lives in an ambush.
The terrified indigenes, who preferred anonymity, said there were many dead bodies in the bush where they were taking cover.
They echoed that the slain military personnel had arrived in two gunboats purportedly for peace talks with the community chairman, and leaders on Thursday, March 14, adding that the community warmly received and offered them kola nut, leading to a peaceful dialogue.
It was learned that tension escalated after the military personnel insisted on whisking away the community chairman and some leaders for further questioning after the peace talks, which the people resisted.
The refusal, it was gathered, allegedly angered the military men who opened fire right at the town hall, where they held a meeting with the people, resulting in casualties within the community.
The fleeing residents did not, however, explain the role of the community in the dastardly killing of the 16 military personnel later same day but revealed that on March 15, the military returned for a second attack, wherein they set ablaze houses in the community, forcing them to flee.
One resident, who pleaded anonymity, said: “On March 14, military personnel visited Okuama and the people welcomed them. They first said they wanted to walk around the community; they walked around and said they wanted to go to the town hall for a peace talk. The people entertained them as is customary with such visit.
“They asked for the community chairman and leaders. They sat with them and they held peace talks together. After that, they asked the community chairman and some other leaders to follow them.
“The people said they had already held peace talks with them, but they said they must take the leaders away.
“The community refused, and from there, the army turned the whole story to violence, right there in the community town hall, the army started shooting our people there.
“People started running, some were killed instantly, and people ran away because nobody expected shooting by the army that very day.
“Then, the army left, but within a while, they came back with more reinforcement, gunboats, and other things.
“Instantly, about 20 persons were killed, and when they came back again, they began to shoot, they killed nothing less than 50 persons on that day.
“Then, the following day, they mobilized again, some from Bomadi, Okwagbe, they came together and burned the whole community down, that was on March 15.”
A community leader, who corroborated this, recounted: “That very day (March 14), we didn’t expect what happened as we saw two gunboats come with the army. We were surprised, but the army maintained that they came for peace talks, so we welcomed and entertained them.
“When they wanted to go, they said they wanted to take our chairman and the leaders along, but the community refused, so the army changed all of a sudden, and they did not act as people we just entertained
“They opened fire, and in that process of firing, our youth, old women, and children died on the spot. More than 20 died instantly.
They left but came back and opened fire again, raising the casualties to 50, and they returned on March 15, and burnt every house in Okuama community.”
Another fleeing mother said: “Some of us have yet to see our children since March 14. We have been hiding in the bush, some dead bodies are there. Therefore, we want the government to come and rescue us.”
On the killing of soldiers, she denied that the community initiated the attack on the army, saying “the army came to meet us and we entertained them.
‘’It was after the peace talks they said they want to take our leaders away. We did not attack the army in the river; it was their insistence to take away the community chairman, secretary, and other leaders that led to the shooting.
“They killed the youth, women, and children in the town hall but there was confusion everywhere, therefore, people ran helter-skelter.
“We are calling for a full-scale investigation into this incident for government to find out those who killed our people and the soldiers also.’’
Meanwhile, as Okoloba community points fingers at Okuama leaders who they alleged hired a militant leader that purportedly spearheaded the ambush and killing of 16 soldiers, the Okuama community also claimed that an Ijaw top shot instigated the shooting and killing of 50 indigenes on March 14 by soldiers.
Okuama people called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to call the military to order as their operations in the area should be neutral.
Military on rampage, arrest community leader, others over alleged harbouring of perpetrators
It was learned yesterday that while in search of fleeing perpetrators of last week’s killing of the soldiers, the military swooped on Akugbene community in Bomadi Local Government Area, in an effort to arrest perpetrators alleged to have fled into the community.
Akugbene community chairman and many others who were brought to Bomadi, headquarters of the council area, over the allegation of harbouring the chairman of Okuama community and other perpetrators, were seen brutalized by soldiers at the military base at the time of filing this report.
However, Governor Oborevwori, yesterday, visited the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian military at Bomadi.
Oborevwori’s visit brought heavy security presence in the riverine town from the early hours of the day, with armoured vehicles and combined security forces stationed at strategic locations, as well as a helicopter hovering around the town.
The governor, on arrival went straight to the military base at NDDC Road, where a meeting that lasted for over an hour was held with
