The military high command has denied reports that troops went on a reprisal attack after the killing of 16 soldiers in the Okuama community in Delta State.
ClockwiseReports had reported how an army commander, two majors, one captain and 12 soldiers were killed in Okuama.
The deceased officers and soldiers were from 181 Amphibious Batallion in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta.
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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, had directed the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the heinous crime.
Days after the order, residents of the Okuama community fled to neighbouring Ughelli for fear of reprisal by soldiers.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, yesterday said the armed forces being a disciplined force complies with its rules of engagement, laws of armed conflict and respect for human rights.
He said, “The ugly incident in the Okuama community in Delta State is indicative of the dangers our gallant troops experience to secure our nation.
“The military assures that there would be measured responses and injurious consequences for the perpetrators of these dastardly acts.
“Nevertheless, the armed forces being a disciplined force that complies with rules of engagement, laws of armed conflict and the respect for human rights would be tempered by these provisions. We would not be led by emotions but by the rule of law.
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“It is against this background that the military debunks all claims that the military embarked on reprisal attacks in the Okuama community after the incident. The community was deserted even before troops arrived at the scene.
“Importantly, those involved in peddling this misinformation, disinformation and fake news that the military had embarked on reprisal attacks on the community following the incident, should desist from further dishonoring our fallen heroes.”
The senior military officer urged community leaders, elders and even the people of Delta State to assist investigation to identify the perpetrators of the dastardly act so that they can be held accountable for their actions.
How slain soldiers were ambushed – Ex-General
Major General Cecil Esekhaigbe (rtd) has narrated how the soldiers and officers who were murdered in the Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, were ambushed.
Speaking when he was featured as a guest on Channels Television, on Monday, Esekhaigbe said the soldiers went to the coastal community to find out why their colleagues who were on a peacekeeping mission to the village were held hostage.
He said, “Now, don’t forget you called it a peace mission; the mindset of these officers and men was to go and find out what the problems were and to find out why their men were kept behind.
“So, their mind was not to go and fight and that is what we must understand. So, they were not going with the mentality of going for an attack, if they, even as few as they were, they would not have been able to surround and dastardly murder them the way they did.
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“So, what played out here is that they fell into an ambush because these militia groups have sophisticated weapons and when you are ambushed, no matter how sophisticated you are, you will have the consequences of an ambush. That calls to mind the need for training and retraining because you must know the local environment in which you are operating.”
Army unveils identities of fallen heroes
In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian Army unveiled the identities of the 16 fallen heroes.
They are:
- AH Ali Lieutenant Colonel (Commanding officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion)
- SD Shafa Major
- DE Obi Major
- Zakari Captain
- Yahaya Saidu Staff Sergeant
- Yahaya Danbaba Corporal
- Kabiru Bashir Corporal
- Bulus Haruna Lance Corporal
- Sole Opeyemi Lance Corporal
- Bello Anas Lance Corporal
- Hamman Peter Lance Corporal
- Ibrahim Abdullahi Lance Corporal
- Alhaji Isah Private
- Clement Francis Private
- Abubakar Ali Private
- Ibrahim Adamu Private
- Adamu Ibrahim Private