• Warn that killing of women, children may reignite restiveness
Ijaw National Congress (INC) has condemned the alleged killing of women and children by the Nigerian Army in the aftermath of the assassination of soldiers in Okuama, a community in Delta state.
In viral videos and photos, bodies of children and women were seen on streets and communities. Ijaw Youth Council, had, on Tuesday, circulated gory pictures of persons allegedly killed by soldiers on reprisal in various communities in Delta and Bayelsa States, following the killing of 13 in Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State.
INC, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, urged President Bola Tinubu to caution soldiers to avert escalation of the situation.
INC warned that actions of the soldiers, if not checked, might reintroduce restiveness in the region, which is experiencing relative peace. INC, however, advised the army to arrest the criminals behind the killing of their colleagues and leave innocent citizens alone.
He said: “In as much as the INC had condemned the killings in strong terms and described it as barbaric, they will be quick to condemn the killing of innocent citizens, including women and children, the razing down of communities by the Nigerian Army, who are in no way connected to the killing of the soldiers.”
MEANWHILE, the Council of Urhobo Traditional Rulers (The Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo) and Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) have urged the Delta State Government to set up an Independent Truth Commission to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the Okuama/Okoloba crisis and others on the Forcados Rivers with a view for a permanent solution.
After a meeting that lasted about four hours, the executive of both bodies, which reviewed the Okuama crisis, released a statement outlining seven-point demands signed and read by the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, and UPU President-General, Ese Gam Owe.
The monarchs stated: “The Urhobo nation is highly pained by the unfortunate but avoidable bloodshed and the razing down of Okuama community in Ughelli South Council over the weekend, particularly the killing of 17 officers/soldiers and reprisal by Nigerian Army occasioning arson, killing of innocent/vulnerable women and children of Okuama community
“We commiserate with the families of the dead officers/soldiers who were killed in the avoidable unfortunate incident.
“We also commiserate with the families of the innocent and vulnerable people of Okuama community, who have been rendered homeless, killed and/or displaced through the revenge mission of the Nigeria Army.”
They stated that Urhobo people are peace-loving people, who have been living in peace with their Ijaw neighbours from time immemorial, adding that they are committed to sustaining the peace, despite the unfortunate incident.
ALSO, the Secretary of Urhobo Renaissance Society, Dr John Uwa, in a statement made available to The Guardian, appealed for cautioned, and urged the Army to start a formal investigation that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the acts.
While commiserating with the military over the killing of their colleagues, Uwa said: “We call for restraint in the attack of innocent civilians and the burning of the entire Okuama community by officers and men of the Nigerian Army, for an offence not committed.
“As part of the social responsibilities of Urhobo Renaissance Society, we have had to open an urgent investigation into the killing of military personnel and subsequent annihilation of the entire Okuama community by officers and men of the Nigerian Army.
“After talking with our people, we can confidently assure the military and the public that the killing was a design to ‘give a dog a bad name’ to kill it; and that Okuama community is totally innocent. For the same reason, we are calling for an immediate stoppage of the carnage by the military, and an immediate unbiased investigation to unravel the truth,” he said.
