Community Leaders,Youths Flee After Murder of 16 Military Personnel, As Manhunt For Perpetrators, Others Begins

Barely a month after the gruesome murder of 16 military personnel by unidentified youths in Ughelli-South local area of Delta State, confirmed reports revealed that residents including community leaders and youths have all fled from their residential homes in the wake of an offensive military onslaught in direct response to the gruesome murder of its gallant officers.

Recall that 16 military personnel,who were deployed by the Nigerian army to quell the lingering tension arising from a protracted land dispute between Okuama and Okoloba communities, were ambushed and killed by unidentified youths of the community on March 14th.

In direct response, the Nigerian army immediately launched an offensive onslaught in the communities by combing every nooks and crannies of the communities for perpetrators of the heinous crime.

The military onslaught in the communities followed the sudden invasion of the communities by its soldiers leading to wanton destruction of lives and property as local residents reportedly abandoned their homes and fled to neighbouring communities to escape the wrath of the Nigerian army, it was confirmed.

Confirmed reports in Okuama/Okoloba communities however revealed that aggrieved families of the 16 murdered military personnel vowed to extend similar brutal treatment which led to the gruesome murder of the 16 army personnel to every community leader and youths in the communities.

The aggrieved families, it was gathered, would stop at nothing to avenge the gruesome murder of the 16 military personnel adding that a peaceful conflict resolution was hijacked by some disgruntled youths whose leaders and youths were unable to call to order owing to personal interest in the protracted crisis.

Our correspondent was reliably informed that the aggrieved families of the slain military personnel who were of the opinion that had members of the fleeing community leaders and youths embraced the peaceful resolution initiative to rein on the youths, the gruesome murder of all 16 military personnel would have been averted.

A source who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity disclosed that some community leaders and youths who are administrative officers at the local government made frantic efforts to call some of the unidentified youths to order by participating in the peaceful resolution initiative extended to the warring communities but were shocked by the decision of the youths to boycott the entire process .

He said ” we have it on good authority that the youths, who attacked the 16 military personnel deployed to restore peace between the warring communities between Okuama and Okoloba communities, were unidentified youths who took advantage of the crisis which had degenerated irretrievably by the compromising positions over personal interest in the protracted land dispute between the community which further deepened the crisis.”

Speaking further, he said “As we speak now we are going after each and everyone involved in the calamity brought upon every members of the bereaved families of the military personnel in this community .

“We are not stopping until we apprehend each and everyone of the perpetrators including the community leaders and the administrative officers over their acts of irresponsibility in allowing the crisis degenerate beyond redemption and also their sheer disregard for human lives which resulted in this gruesome murder.” the source added.

Investigation revealed that names and identities of some community leaders and youths were compiled and they include Oghale Oghenekaro ( supervisor revenue department), Paul Edward (Health and environment department), Michael Omokaro (ICT department) , Gift Odafe Tukpe ( cleaning supervisor of town hall in Okouma) , Wilson Ejiro(motor park revenue unit), Godson Obi (Market revenue unit) and Blessing Oghare Tukpe ( Personal assistant to Mathew Olokpa, chairman of Okouma community) amongst others are on the wanted list of the police.

Our correspondent gathered that houses, property and businesses belonging to the community leaders and the administrative officers were also not spared in the wanton destruction and burning down processes as it has been widely reported in local media that many of the community leaders and administrative officers have already fled from the community to escape from the violent wrath of the aggrieved families of the murdered military personnel.

Confirmed report in the community however indicated that the aggrieved families of the murdered military personnel are working frantically in concert with the Nigerian Police and army including local vigilante to apprehend and prosecute all the fleeing collaborators and perpetrators wanted for their roles in the gruesome murder of the 16 military personnel with a view to bringing them to justice.

Meanwhile, the true innocence of some of the fleeing individuals in the communities, according to a source who in an interview said some of the community leaders and administrative officers are innocent, would only require the passage of time to be proven while the unidentified youths are exposed and prosecuted .