In the aftermath of the tragic killing of 16 soldiers and officers in Okuama Community, Delta State, Nigerian Army troops have launched a retaliatory invasion on Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Reports indicate that during the incursion, approximately 11 individuals lost their lives, and numerous houses were set ablaze.
The incursion, reportedly carried out by soldiers in five gunboats, targeted structures suspected to be harboring a militant leader allegedly involved in the attack on military personnel in Delta State. The slain officers and soldiers, affiliated with the 181 Amphibious Battalion in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta, were on a rescue mission in Okuama when the tragic incident occurred.
Following the massacre in Delta, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, issued directives for an immediate investigation and apprehension of the perpetrators. However, this directive seemed to have provoked a wave of fear among residents of Okuama, leading many to flee to neighboring Ughelli to escape potential reprisals from the military.
The military operation in Bayelsa saw troops opening fire on residents at the jetty before proceeding to ignite three suspected hideouts of the militant leader. As a result, the community has reported the recovery of 11 bodies, with efforts ongoing to locate any additional casualties.
A distraught resident lamented the severe impact of the military invasion on the community, citing loss of lives and destruction of properties. The invasion has disrupted daily life to such an extent that planned events, like burials, have been indefinitely postponed, incurring additional financial burdens on the affected families.
Calls for intervention from both federal and state governments, as well as appeals to the international community, echo the plea for assistance and resolution in restoring peace and normalcy to the afflicted community.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the spokesperson for Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) headquarters, Major Adenegan Ojo, were unsuccessful as subsequent calls went unanswered following the initial termination of contact upon realizing the caller was a journalist.
