The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the killing of one Colonel, two Majors, one Captain and 12 Soldiers in Delta State and ordered the arrest of those behind the killing.
The acting director, Defence Information, Brig-Gen Tukur Gusau said the troops were attacked by some community youths and killed on Thursday.
He said the troops of 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi local government area of Delta State responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta State.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa in a response has directed the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the heinous crime.
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The statement added that the ugly occurrence has been reported to the Delta State government for further action.
He however, reiterated that the military remains focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country.
“So far, few arrests have been made while steps are in place to unravel the motive behind the attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, the vice president general of the Okuama community, David Akata, has accused the Nigeria Army of invasion of the community saying that the “unknown gunmen” who turned out to be Nigeria Army, shot sporadically at anyone in sight leaving three indigenes dead and several others injured.
He disclosed that his community recorded three casualties with many others injured and houses set ablaze as the armed men in military uniforms allegedly wreaked havoc in Okuama community from a speedboat.
According to Akata, “The armed men suspected to be Nigeria Army on Thursday, March 14, carried out the genocide on the citizens of the community by setting their buildings and properties ablaze with chanting of war songs.
“We woke up to see our community surrounded with men in military uniform numbering in their tens and without just reason started shooting at sight leading to the death of three promising youths of the community and several others injured from gun bullets.
“The same military men repeated their genocide actions on the innocent and law-abiding citizens of the Okuama community on Friday, March 15, 2024, leaving many buildings in rubbles as they carried offensive arson on the community buildings.
“As I speak, the number of persons who died in the barbaric attack could not be ascertained as many of the aged men, women, and youths fled into the nearby bushes and, and we suspect that some women and children might have drowned in the river because many ran into the river out of panic.
“This is disheartening that the Delta State government and security operatives in the state with a lackadaisical approach have not been able to quell the crisis between the two communities. We entered a peace accord with the state government and security operatives in the state.
“We stand by the accord but often times the Okoloba people harassed our people by assaulting them, and our pleas on the state government to expedite action and called the Okolobians to order fell on deaf ears allowing the Okoloba community people to use their mercenaries in military uniforms and bandits to kill our people,” he lamented.
