Armed soldiers arrived Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, early Monday accompanied by youths, raising tension in the traumatised community.
Reports said the soldiers fired indiscriminately weeks after community leaders were arrested, further deepening unrest in the area. A resident who spoke with ‘Vanguard’ from a hiding place in the bush, disclosed that the soldiers arrived on foot after docking their boats at Okoloba, having used drones to monitor the area the day before.
A video obtained by ‘Vanguard’ shows a distressed community youths appealing for government’s intervention as drones hovered over the town.
“Everyone is in disarray; I can’t find my child; why are we being treated in this manner? Why will soldiers team up with our enemies to attack us? Our leaders were arrested weeks ago, and now they have come to sack the community,” the source lamented.
The resident expressed confusion over the cause of the invasion, questioning why soldiers would collaborate with local adversaries to attack their community. With community leaders already in custody, this latest development has left the town in confusion, as families scramble for safety amid the chaos.
READ ALSO : Delta killings: Troops occupy Okuama, raze more buildings
Credible News recalls that on March 14, 2024, the Nigerian Army launched an invasion of Okuama, a community in the Ewu Kingdom of Ughelli South, Delta State, following the brutal ambush and killing of 17 soldiers. The soldiers, reportedly on a “peace mission,” were attacked in an incident that remains clouded in mystery, as the exact details of their assignment are yet to be fully disclosed.
The assault on the community came in response to the killings, with military forces descending on Okuama. Buildings were razed, and residents fled in fear for their lives. The conflict stems from a long-standing land dispute between Okuama, an Urhobo community, and its Ijaw-speaking neighbor, Okoloba. The land disagreement has sparked tensions that have now escalated into violence.
After nearly two months of military occupation, the Nigerian Army withdrew from Okuama on May 8, 2024, following orders from higher authorities. Despite the withdrawal, the scars of the conflict remain, with the community still struggling with the destruction and trauma left in the wake of the military’s intervention.
Credible News.ng
