Three alleged suspects in the killing of 17 officers and men from the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Otuama, Delta State last Thursday, have been apprehended.
The arrests coincide with a statement from Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, who affirmed yesterday that those responsible for the attack on the military personnel would face justice.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori briefed President Bola Tinubu on the matter at Aso Rock, Abuja, assuring that the state was managing tensions arising from the incident and pledging to prevent further attacks.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has instructed the Armed Forces of Nigeria to undertake a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the brutal killings of the military personnel.
Meanwhile, speaking during the debate on two merged motions by Senators Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central) and Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central), on the killings, Senator Akpabio said: “I don’t want you to conclude, I do not believe that these people are from Niger Delta.
“Because we respect men and women in uniform, I am saying your additional prayer should be to carry out a thorough investigation to know whether these people are mercenaries from outside Niger Delta who came to commit this crime because I don’t think these people are Niger Deltans.
“We are not at war to lose such several personnel. No community will go to the extent of doing this kind of thing. I don’t think they are from Niger Delta.
“So, I think the first point is that we should first establish the culprits who committed this crime and we must take this seriously. Supposing they are not from Niger Delta, supposing they are not even Nigerians and we now come and be giving relief materials to..
“People should bear the consequences of their characters, we will not support relief materials.”
However, the Senate has begun a probe into the killing of the soldiers as it asked its committees on defence, army, navy and air force to liaise with the military authorities to get more information on the remote and immediate cause of what it described as a dastardly act.
It also called on the Federal Government to identify, apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the horrific killing and bring them to book, just as it observed a minute silence in honour of those killed.
The Red Chamber equally asked the Federal Government to hasten the recruitment and training of more police personnel to take up the job of policing responsibilities, while the Nigerian Army should play its primary role in the affairs of the country.
Senate calls for Enlightenment campaign
The Senate also called on the Federal Government to embark on an enlightenment campaign to sensitise the public on their civic responsibility as it affects their relationship with security agencies.
It, however, rejected a prayer to observe a minute silence in honour of innocent civilians killed in the attack or commiserate with their families, saying their number is still unknown.
While the Senate rejected an additional prayer for relief materials for the community by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, as proposed by Senator Ede Dafinone, it resolved that families of the slain soldiers should be compensated immediately. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), moved the motion which was seconded by Senator Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North).
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senators Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central), and Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central).
Earlier in his presentation, Senator Yar’Adua, who is the chairman, the Senate Committee on Army, noted that the recent tragic incident that resulted in the loss of a commanding officer, two majors, a captain, and 12 soldiers, highlighted a serious threat to the security and stability of the country.
He said: “troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion, while on a peace mission to Okuama community in Bomadi LGA of Delta State, were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
“The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between Okuama and Okoloba communities, both in Delta State.
“The tragic incident involving the attack on military personnel from the 181 Amphitropous Battalion during the peace mission to Okuama community in Delta State, underscores the urgent need for justice and accountability without resorting to retribution.”
The lawmaker voiced concern over the understaffing of the Nigerian police which, according to him, has made Nigeria’s military to take over internal policing duties such as organised crime, oil theft, communal crisis, kidnapping, banditry and other policing responsibilities.
Yar’ Adua also recalled when Defence headquarters previously reported in August 2023 the loss of 36 military personnel in Niger State, underscoring the persistent challenges faced by the armed forces in carrying out their duties.
He said: “there is a critical requirement for a more streamlined and deliberate collaboration between the armed forces and law enforcement agencies on one side and the Nigerian populace and communities on the other.
“This collaboration is essential to foster trust, enhance security measures, and promote a sense of shared responsibility in preventing such tragedies in the future.”
On his part, Senator Dafinone requested the Senate to show some concerns in handling the situation.
According to him, if the matter is not carefully handled, it will lead to a further breakdown of law and order.
“We need to commiserate with the people of Okuama community over the loss of lives of some of the innocent indigenes in the unfortunate incident.
“I, therefore, plead with the President, defence headquarters and the chief of defence staff to please temper justice with mercy and not punish an entire community of Okuama for the sins of a few unscrupulous elements.”
In his contribution, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), said: “What happened is despicable, It is inhuman and it is something that cannot be accepted. We need to commiserate with the Nigerian Armed Forces and, indeed, the entire nation, to condole with the immediate families of the fallen heroes and the Nigerian military for what happened.
“These were men trained by the Nigerian government and huge resources were spent on them to defend the territorial integrity of this country and keep us safe as a nation.
“Now, they were killed for no reason; not at a time of conflict, not at the war front, they were just murdered in the worst fashion you can think about.
“It should be condemned, what happened is inhuman and no stone should be left unturned in trying to find out the culprits and they must face justice and this should never happen again in this country.
“The military is doing its best, trying to deal with kidnappers, bandits and a host of other challenges, to make us safe and now some people decided to murder these people and I believe it is something we should all condemn and proffer solutions to.”
Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence and immediate past president of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North), said the killing of the military personnel is an assault on the security and stability of the Niger Delta.
Lawan, who expressed sadness at the number of lives lost and properties destroyed, following the crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities, called on the military and security agencies to take urgent action to investigate the killings, bring the perpetrators to justice and restore peace and order to the area.
Lawan urged the people of Okuama community to provide useful information that would lead to the arrest of the culprits behind the heinous act.
There won’t be further attacks — Oborevwori
Also yesterday, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State said the state is managing the tension occasioned by the alleged reprisal attacks over the killing of 16 soldiers and officers at Okuama, Delta State.
The governor, who briefed President Bola Tinubu on the killing of the military personnel at Aso Rock, Abuja, also said the situation is under control, assuring that there will be no more attacks in the communities involved.
Briefing State House correspondents after meeting President Tinubu, the governor declined to confirm the report of reprisal attacks allegedly carried out by the military and the number of casualties, saying that being a security issue, there were certain things he could not say in public.
Oborevwori said he met with the security heads in Bomadi on Monday but noted that he had been able to meet with the community involved because the place of the incident was completely deserted.
He said: “You know the happenings in Delta State since 14th of this month and it is necessary for me to brief the commander-in-chief and that’s what I’ve come to do, the full details of what happened.
“The two communities in question have been having issues for years and last month, on February 7, they were invited by the state government; the two communities, the members representing those two local governments, the council chairmen and the leaders of those communities, and they agreed to work together, signed a peace accord.
“When this unfortunate thing happened, it was very sad because Delta State is governed within the tenets of the rule of law and decency.
‘’So what happened is not in line with what we’re doing in Delta State because I have promised Deltans that I’m going to be governor for all Deltans and we’ve been enjoying peace and one of my MORE Agenda is that we’ll enhance peace and security, and that’s what we’ve been doing.
“So I decided to come here to brief Mr. President on all the things we’ve been doing to maintain peace and Mr President has assured me that he’s in support of the peace and we both condemned the killing of the officers and the soldiers because they were there on a peace mission.
“What is happening now is something that we did not bargain for, but we want to assure everybody that there’ll be no more attacks on the villages, if there’s been any that happened in the past… but we know that those who are culpable will be brought to book, but the innocent citizens will not be attacked.”
He said: “when something as this happens, it’s not always easy to manage tension. Yesterday (Monday), I was in that local government, I was in Bomadi for a security meeting, to get full details and briefing.
“So some of those issues are security issues that you can’t say publicly, that’s the truth, and we’re managing the situation. So the issue of whether a place has been burnt down or people have been killed, it has happened, but what is the way forward?
“The way forward is two-pronged: The people that have been killed, the officers and soldiers, we must see how we can find succour for their families and give them a befitting burial.
“Also, the community, anything that has happened in the community in the past will not happen again, we assure them, but the people who are culpable will be brought to book.
Fielding questions on whether he has been able to meet with the community to ascertain the number of casualties recorded in the attack and the alleged reprisal attack by the military, the governor said: “First and foremost, the community people… the place has been deserted, so the issue of whether we’ve been able to see the community leaders does not arise.
“We’ve only got full briefing from the Army and we’re on it because this week, the traditional council is going to meet and discuss. I’m going to invite stakeholders, we’re on top of it.”
Further asked to give the number of people reported dead when he met with the military on Monday, he said: “You know the terrain of that place, the Okuama terrain, you must go by boat. Where I visited was Bomadi.
“As I said, we had a meeting yesterday with the security heads where the General Officer Commanding 6 Division was there, the JTF commander was in attendance. We’ve all agreed, all the security agencies are putting heads together, we’re on the same page to fish out the real culprits because innocent people will not suffer for nothing.
