Tension in Delta communities as soldiers assault, displace innocent civilians
Tension has enveloped Okuama Community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State following the invasion by armed military personnel on reprisal operation in the aftermath of the killing of 4 military officers and 13 soldiers from the 181 Battalion of the Nigerian Army by suspected youths of the community.
Armed groups operating around Okuama and neighboring Okoloba communities in Bomadi LGA about 20 kilometres East of Warri, Delta State have been embroiled in violent conflicts over claimed operational jurisdictions in illegal oil bunkering resulting in the intervention by military personnel.
The 17 military personnel were allegedly killed on the Focados River on March 14, 2024 while returning to their base after a truce meeting with some youths groups provoked serial responses from the military high command in Abuja leading to the total occupation of the riverine communities in search of those allegedly responsible for the killing of the soldiers.
The military had since taken over Okuama and neighbouring communities by force, leading to loss of lives, livelihoods, displacement of community members who are currently taking refuge in the forests.
Reports state that the military had started moving from home to home picking up innocent young men some of whom they allegedly shot dead, resulting in many others fleeing the troubled community and environs with several others including the vulnerable displaced.
The Defense Headquarters has however declared some suspected gang leaders and their collaborators including Professor Arthur Ekpekpo, President General of Ewu Clan Development Forum, Edward Wariso, the Okuama Community Youth leader and one Owede Sulaiman Lawanson, his close associate, wanted over their alleged roles in the “mass murder” of the soldiers.
Owede Sulaiman Lawanson and Edward Wariso have allegedly been involved in the illegal oil trade for nearly ten years and have been on the police wanted list, said the military highly command which also named one Endurance Amagbein, commonly known as General Amagbein, a notorious oil bunkering king-pin in Warri Delta area as the mastermind and one who plotted the killing of the military personnel.
Meanwhile, life in Okuama and Okoloba communities has become a living hell as several people have remained displaced and have chosen to remain in bushes until normalcy returns to the once peaceful communities.
As a result, several households have been dislocated and unable to be reunited following the lock down that grants no one access to their homes or families with no access to medical care too.
