Provided there are no eleventh-hour alterations, today (Wednesday) will witness the final rites for the 17 military personnel who were attacked in Okuama, a community situated within the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The casualties from March 14 included the Commanding Officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, alongside two majors, one captain, and 13 soldiers affiliated with the battalion.
In response to a call for help, the soldiers swiftly intervened to address the escalating conflict between the Okuama and Okoloba communities.
It’s been reported that the soldiers fell victim to an ambush orchestrated by angry youths amid a communal altercation over a land dispute between Bomadi and Okuoma communities in the state.
It has been reported that the severed bodies of the deceased soldiers were later recovered from adjacent rivers, while others had their stomachs and hearts forcibly removed.
President Bola Tinubu, alongside key governmental bodies such as the Nigerian Senate and defense headquarters, voiced condemnation over the harrowing manner in which the military personnel were slain, signaling a united front against such atrocities.
The Nigerian Army announced on Tuesday that the fallen soldiers would receive their final resting place at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja, scheduled for 3 pm on Wednesday.
Read also: Pull Army Out Of Okuama, Niger Delta Leaders Urge Tinubu
Set to be in attendance at the event is President Tinubu, assuming the esteemed role of Special Guest of Honour, given his position as the Commander-in-Chief.
In his earlier statement, Tinubu strongly denounced the killings, labeling the perpetrators as “cowardly” and emphasizing the imperative of holding them accountable for their actions.
In a message he released Sunday evening, said the killing is “unprovoked” and “dreadful”.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, I join all well-meaning Nigerians and the men and women of our armed forces to mourn and express my profound grief over the needless death of our gallant soldiers,” Tinubu said.
“I extend my profound condolences to the families of these fallen soldiers, their colleagues, and their loved ones. The military high command is already responding to this incident. The cowardly offenders responsible for this heinous crime will not go unpunished.”
Troubled by the possibility of military retaliation and the mounting unrest following the brutal murder, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, convened with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on the same day.
Oborevwori reassures that the military authorities have guaranteed the safety of the community’s residents.
“I decided to come here to brief Mr President of all the things we have been doing to maintain peace. Mr President has assured me that he is in support of peace and we both condemn the killing of the officers and the soldiers because they were there on a peace mission,” he said after the meeting.
“What is happening now is something that we did not bargain for. But we want to assure everybody that there will be no more attacks on the villages.
“If there’s anyone that will that has happened in the past, there will be no attack. But we know that those who are culpable will be brought a book but innocent citizens will not be will not be attacked.”