Chief of Civil-Military Affairs for the Nigerian Army, Major General Nosakhare Ugbo has disclosed that the Army successfully reclaimed a portion of the arms and ammunition seized from slain soldiers during the tragic attack on March 14th in Okuama community, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State.
The Olota community in the state had sounded an alarm, detailing the harrowing ordeal of resident Joseph Willie, who was reportedly subjected to torture by the soldiers that raided the community in search of stolen arms and ammunition, and perpetrators of the fatal attack on their colleagues.
Tragically, Willie succumbed to the brutality and passed away.
It was also reported that one of the brutalized victim, Reuben Awanriarere, developed an ear impairment while another villager, Okwagbe Ebirie, cannot walk, all resulting from the grievous punishment meted to them by the military personnel.
Ugbo in a media chat said the search was still ongoing for those involved in the killing of the 17 military personnel.
“Arrests will be continually made; this is an issue under investigation, but l am telling you that our equipment, our arms and ammunition, we are still searching for them. We have got some, we have not got others, the search is continuing,” he said.
On the media restriction to Okuama community, he said: “It is a crime scene. Even in civil crimes, you will tape it everywhere. That is a crime scene, investigation has not been concluded, so, l don’t think it will be appropriate for anybody to go there and interfere with the investigation.”
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Regarding the safety of the detained Ovie of Ewu Kingdom, HRM Clement Ikolo, the military officer said: “The traditional ruler, l believe, is safe. They are still questioning him; he is still under investigation.
“Every other issue around Okuama is still under investigation and l assure you that at the end of the investigation, whatever will unfold will be brought to the fore. Everyone will be informed on the outcome of the investigation.
“As l told you, the investigation is on. Probably tomorrow, they may see other names. As the investigation unfolds, more facts will emerge, and new people might be called for questioning.
“There is a Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, in the South-South region of the country and they have a role to maintain security.
“For those saying it is a police thing, the commander is just a military man, but there are other components. There is a police component commander; there are people from the Department of State Services, DSS, and every security agency in the country, so it is a robust structure.”
On why the Army seems to be focusing more on Okuama than other areas where soldiers have been previously attacked, Ugbo explained: “In other theatres, soldiers were killed in action by enemies or adversaries, not inside a community.
“Probably, l am sure you will say Boko Haram areas. Those places are inside the Sambisa forest and other locations. We know that these are terrorists, and we go after them, so it is an act of warfare.
“In recent history where our soldiers were killed, they were killed within the country in the course of carrying out their duties by enemies of the state, and in doing that, we also carry out military action to ensure that those enemies pay the price but, of course, this is a community that we are talking about.”
“In the first instance, when l spoke the first time, l said it is an ongoing investigation. If, during the investigation, they find that l have something, l am sure they will come and ask me questions or they will search me. If during the search, they find nothing, they will let me go,” he said, commenting on the search of Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
“Some of these investigations take time. Nobody will be able to give you a complete picture of what has happened or what went wrong until such a time that there is a comprehensive investigation. I appeal for patience.
“I told you it is a crime scene, and as a crime scene, it is being investigated, so, please let us be patient.
“I do not think and l am not sure, nobody has told me that the people are not eating or that they are displaced. If they are displaced, it means they are somewhere else.
“Anything about Okuama community is still under investigation. There is an investigation and the community is helping the investigators to lead to the solution of recovering our arms, and also helping us to identify and arrest all of the perpetrators of the dastardly act, so, let us be patient. With time, everything will come out,” Ugbo said.
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