By Dele Ogunyemi

Many residents of the Okuama in the Ughelli South Local Government Area and Okolaba in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, on Friday, fled the communities as soldiers took over the area and reportedly set some houses ablaze in reaction to the killing of 16 soldiers, including senior officers.

Channels Television reported late on Saturday that 15 bodies of the soldiers were recovered by soldiers of the Joint Task Force under the supervision of the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, at the Okuama community.

Some of the recovered corpses had their heads severed off, while the stomachs of others were ripped off with some of the vital organs missing.

At the NDDC jetty in the community, the bodies of the commanding officer and two Majors were seen floating by the river bank as others were separated on land.

Meanwhile, the entire communities in the Bomadi and Ughelli South local government areas were cordoned off by troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, who also oversees the 63 brigade in Asaba.

The neighbouring communities have been engaged in a communal land dispute since January 27, 2024 when some youths from Okoloba were said to have ambushed and killed three Okuama youths, Igho Meshack, Godspower Awusa and Okiemute Agbabuleke, over an age-long land dispute in the area as they were returning from Okwagbe.

The corpses of the deceased were said to have been hidden by the assailants.

Some Okuama youths on Wednesday reportedly ambushed one Mr Anthony Aboh, an indigene of Okoloba, and held him hostage.

The Chairman of the Okoloba community alerted the Divisional Police Officer, Bomadi Police Division, the Joint Task Force, the Department of State Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

It was learnt that the JTF swiftly swung into action and moved to Okuama to rescue the hostage.

However, the aggrieved youths of Okuama, on sighting the JTF personnel, allegedly opened fire on them at the waterfront and killed two soldiers with some others missing.

The situation degenerated to a gun duel between the youths and the military, leading to some soldiers sustaining severe bullet wounds.

In the ensuing melee, some of the soldiers reportedly managed to escape with the two wounded soldiers, who are said to be presently recuperating in an undisclosed hospital in Bomadi.

The Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion, Effurun, and Commanding Officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion, Agbor, could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, stated, “The Delta State Police Command is not aware of the incident.”

However, the Nigerian Army confirmed the killing of its officers and men, whom it noted were on a peace mission in the Okuama community.

In a statement by the acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the Army said the commanding officer of the 181 Amphibious Batallion, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers lost their lives.

The statement read in part, “The troops of the 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, while on peace mission to Okuama community in the 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 regarding the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities, both in Delta State.

"The reinforcement team led by the commanding officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers.

“The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has directed the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the heinous crime. The occurrence has been reported to the Delta State Government.”

Gusau added that the military remained focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country, adding that some arrests had been made, while steps were being taken to unravel the motive behind the attack.

Community under siege

Sunday PUNCH gathered that troops had placed the Okuama community under siege as soldiers were said to have set fire on houses during which no fewer than three young men lost their lives.

One of our correspondents gathered that several residents of the community suffered life-threatening injuries, many of the women and children displaced in the ensuing melee had yet to be accounted for as of the time of filing this report.

When Sunday PUNCH correspondent attempted to visit the warring communities, he was turned back by stern looking and heavily armed soldiers, who had taken over the roads.

‘Soldiers carrying out genocide’

Speaking to journalists from his hideout, the Vice President-General of Okuama Community, Mr David Akata, expressed displeasure with “the lackadaisical approach of the state government and security operatives to quell the crisis between the two communities initially.”

"We entered into a peace accord with the state government and security operative in the state, and we stand by that accord, but often times the Okoloba people harass and assault our people. Our pleas to the state government to expedite action and caution the Okoloba leaders fell on deaf ears. Rather, they aided the Okoloba community and used their mercenaries to attack and kill our people,” he stated.

https://punchng.com/deadly-peace-mission-delta-community-deserted-dhq-orders-probe-as-15-soldiers-bodies-recovered/?amp

Arny always acts like its everybody in town that killed one of them

They vee murdered sleep.
The whole community will pay for it

It will take longer than six good months before proper peace will return in those two affected communities. Meanwhile, those youths that cause this trouble have all ran away to cities thereby leaving the poor fish farmers and the aged to suffer the heats that will come from the military.

I left..!

Lumarstone:
It will take longer than six good months before proper peace will return in those two affected communities. Meanwhile, those youths that cause this trouble have all ran away to cities thereby leaving the poor fish farmers and the aged to suffer the heats that will come from the military.

I left..!

When the parents refuse to train their children the way they should go or behave, both parents and children will pay for any evil the children committed.

Lumarstone:
It will take longer than six good months before proper peace will return in those two affected communities. Meanwhile, those youths that cause this trouble have all ran away to cities thereby leaving the poor fish farmers and the aged to suffer the heats that will come from the military.

I left..!

The community leaders know the youths that carryout those killings.Dont you know that in the community there are youths who are specify in each task?
E.G,There is age group whose purpose is hunting.
There is age group whose purpose is combat etc.
They have where they hide arms for combat.
If everything lie low,the elder of the community will inform those combatants youths who have escaped from the community after killing the security forces to returned home.

Chicagograduate:
The community leaders know the youths that carryout those killings.Dont you know that in the community there are youths who are specify in each task?
E.G,There is age group whose purpose is hunting.
There is age group whose purpose is combat etc.
They have where they hide arms for combat.
If everything lie low,the elder of the community will inform those combatants youths who have escaped from the community after killing the security forces to returned home.

And you think the youth who carried out that act would be stupid to return to that community even after 7 years?

mysticwarrior:
And you think the youth who carried out that act would be stupid to return to that community even after 7 years?

It will take long.

punch said Army are on a genocide spree.
q community in conjunction with it's leaders armed themselves with weapons and we're killing people from other community because of lad disputes.
didn't stop there, beheaded our military and harvested their vital organs too.
that community needs complete cleansing and no single soul there is innocent.
the reasonable folks would have left that community immediately the incident happened but then get gra gra.
no room for peace anymore..they brought it up on themselves.

opera1:



When the parents refuse to train their children the way they should go or behave, both parents and children will pay for any evil the children committed.

there's no way those parent would form blindness when those kids were arming themselves with guns, no way they can form ignorance when the two neighbouring communities were killing themselves because of land
now they wan form innocent after their children behead soldiers..
Ogun kill them all