Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has urged the military authorities to demobilise from Okuama Community so that the indigenes can return and allow rehabilitation to commence.
This is as the lead counsel, who instituted a N200 billion suit against the Nigerian Army, Malcolm Omirhobo, at the weekend, clarified that he is a counsel and not a party in the fundamental rights case instituted at the Federal High Court, Warri, Delta State.
He said that the case was filed after being briefed by residents of Okuama Community, adding that the clarification was necessary to clear the impression created on the subject matter.
Oborevwori, who visited the sacked community for the first time, on Saturday, since March 14 when 17 soldiers were killed, said that the stage is now set for rehabilitation.
He said: “It is with a heavy heart that I visited the troubled Okuama Community today for a first-hand assessment of the situation on the ground. Agreeably, a lot has taken place since the sad and tragic incident occurred, which claimed the lives of four officers and 13 men of the military.
“The stage now is the rehabilitation and return of innocent citizens who fled the community in the wake of the horrendous incident.”
MEANWHILE, the Concerned Ijaw Citizens (CIC) has expressed worry over a string of sponsored and unwarranted attacks and a well-orchestrated campaign of calumny against the Nigerian military leadership on the Okoloba/Okuama crisis.
The group, in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, jointly signed by its Coordinator, Seigha Manager, and the Publicity Secretary, Andrew E. Elijah, said that it has uncovered a string of sponsored and unwarranted attacks, and a well-orchestrated campaign of calumny by a section of the media to discredit the Nigeria military on the Okoloba/Okuama crisis.
It is stated that the aim was to blackmail the armed forces with deliberate falsehood and unfounded stories as a ploy to demand for the removal of the service chiefs.
While commending the level of professionalism of the military in handling the crisis, the group urged the military command not to be blackmailed to abandoning their professional duties.
The group stated that the Okoloba people believe in peaceful means to end the conflict, and agreed to submit themselves to the Military Board of Inquiry.
The letter stated that the Okoloba people have been notifying relevant security agencies, local and state governments, of the reckless activities of the Okuama people, including (but not limited to) alleged unwarranted harassment of defenceless women and men with machetes, clubs, bows, arrows, guns in their farms and fishing lakes, rape, kidnap, arson, murder, among others.
