-Uchechukwu Okoroafor, Abuja
Troops of the Nigerian Army have reportedly withdrawn from the troubled Okuama community in the Ughelli South local government area of Delta State.
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With the withdrawal of the troops, the people of Okuama can now return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes and communities.
The troops were deployed in the area following the killing of 17 officers and men of the Nigerian Army in an ambush on March 14, 2024.
Members of the National Assembly, other distinguished Nigerians, traditional rulers, and other leaders of thought pleaded with the federal government and the military authority to allow peace to prevail during the Okuama crisis.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori also paid an assessment visit to the community on April 20, 2024, and has since set up an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ewu to aid their rehabilitation.
Confirming the development, Governor Oborevwori expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the military high command for the withdrawal.
“My dear good people of Delta State, I have the pleasure to announce to you that, upon much deliberation and collaboration between the state government and the military leadership, the Nigerian Army has agreed to withdraw its officers and men from Okuama.
“I spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Monday, May 6, and as of today, May 8, 2024, the military has withdrawn from Okuama.
“With this development, the people of Okuama can now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes.
“I want to express my profound gratitude to Mr. President, the Chief of Army Staff, and the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army for their understanding and cooperation.
“In my engagements with them, they demonstrated the highest level of concern and care for the plight of the displaced persons. To God be the glory that we have achieved an amicable resolution.”
Governor Oborevwori also commended members of the National Assembly, other distinguished Nigerians, traditional rulers, and other leaders of thought who stood with the state throughout the Okuama saga.
He said, “Let me assure all Deltans and residents in the state that this administration is irrevocably committed to enhanced peace and security in the state as contained in our MORE agenda.
“It is also pertinent to point out that matters of security are better handled with tact, wisdom, and patience; it is not meant to be a subject of daily media discourse as some would have wanted.
“As the people of Okuama start the process of returning to their homes, I pledge the commitment of the Delta State government to make that process smooth and seamless.
“We shall render all the necessary assistance they need to enable them to settle down quickly and joyfully in Okuama.
“It is my prayer and belief that never again would Delta experience the kind of tragedy that happened in Okuama. Security, as we all know, is a shared responsibility. So, we will continue to count on the support and cooperation of every citizen to ensure that our state remains safe and peaceful.
“Once again, I commiserate with the families of victims of the Okuama incident,” the governor said.
It is understandable the excitement of the Delta State governor that the Okuama people can now go home. But that should not be the end of the matter.
Let’s get this clear: the hoodlums of Okuama who killed 17 Nigerian Army officers and men trained by taxpayers’ money and are among our finest officers and gentlemen must be identified, apprehended, and the law of the land invoked on them. These people who not only killed the soldiers, but also beheaded them are not worthy to live among us and deserve the full wrath of the law. The governor of Delta State did not speak about the killers of the soldiers, whether they had been apprehended or not. Also, the military authority has not said anything about fishing out the culprits.
However, it is not only the hoodlums that killed the soldiers that we demand their arrest and prosecution, we also demand that the soldiers who went on the alleged reprisal attack, razing down the Okuama communities and killing hundreds of innocent Nigerians, not only in Delta State, where the original incident occurred, but go as far as Bayelsa State, killing and maiming the innocent, as was widely reported in the media.
Two wrongs can never make a right. What the hoodlums did to the soldiers was despicable, but the alleged razing of Okuama communities, in which the innocent were mostly killed by soldiers who were on reprisal, indicated that the soldiers had not shown that they were more refined than the hoodlums. Nigeria must stop this cycle of impunity, both by the state and non-state actors.
Aside from holding those who razed the Okuama community down accountable, the Delta State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Abuja must move in quickly to provide succor for the traumatized people of Okuama who are returning to their deserted and destroyed communities over a month after they ran for their lives. With the support of the federal and state governments, the Okuama people can begin to rebuild their lives.
Also critical is addressing the root cause of the dispute between Okuama and its neighbours that led to one of the parties inviting the military for intervention, which led to the tragedy of March 14, 2024. That dispute must be resolved for sustainable peace in the area.