No fewer than eleven bodies have been recovered in Igbomotoru, a community in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State following yesterday’s invasion of the area by soldiers onboard five gunboats.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that the soldiers razed three houses suspected to be the hideout of a militant leader allegedly involved in the killing of military men on rescue mission in Delta State.
A community source who pleaded anonymity said they have recovered eleven corpses while many others are unaccounted as of the time of filing this report last night.
He said the troops stormed the community, shooting sporadically on residents who were relaxing on the jetty before proceeding to set ablaze the three buildings suspected to be the hideout of the said militant leader.
The source said, “The military invasion has affected the people gravely. Lives have been lost, properties have been destroyed. Even after the attack, I am sure that life in that community can never be the same.
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“This weekend was scheduled for the burial of one of my late uncles. We have paid for food, drinks, music, speedboat and canopies. And now because of this, the burial can no longer hold.
“In fact, some of the people we have paid money to are saying that if the date would be changed then we would have to pay extra money.
Is that not a huge loss? So, we would have to start looking for more money, that is if there will ever be peace in the community.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has released the list of 17 military personnel killed in an attack in Delta State.
Days after the gruesome murder, the Defence Headquarters said 17 personnel including the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 12 personnel of the battalion were among those killed.
“May The Souls of the Departed Rest In Peace,” the Nigerian Army wrote on its X handle alongside a photo collage of the personnel on Monday evening.
The Defence Headquarters gave the names of those killed as:
– Lt Col AH Ali, the Command Officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion, Nigerian Army.
– Maj SD Shafa (N/13976)
– Maj DE Obi (N/14395)
– Capt U Zakari (N/16348)
– SSgt Yahaya Saidu (#3NA/36/2974)
– Cpl Yahaya Danbaba (1ONA/65/7274)
– Col Kabiru Bashir (11NA/66/9853)
– LCol Bulus Haruna (16NA/TS/5844)
– Lal Sole Opeyemi (17NA/760719)
– LCpl Bello Anas (17NA/76/290)
– LCpl Hamman Peter (NA/T82653)
– LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi (18NA/77/1191)
– Pte Alhaji Isah (17NA/76/6079)
– Pte Clement Francis (19NA/78/0911)
– Pte Abubakar Ali (19NA/78/2162)
– Pte Ibrahim Adamu (19NA/78/6079)
– Pte Adamu Ibrahim (21NA/80/4795).