N/Delta Leaders urge FG to Pull Army Out Of Okuama, Other Delta, Bayelsa Communities

Influential figures from the Niger Delta, including monarchs, retired security personnel, clerics, and activists, have called on the Federal Government to end the military’s ongoing operation in Okuama, Ughelli South LGA, Delta State.

This plea comes in the wake of a violent incident on March 14, where 17 military officers were killed, leading to a heightened military presence in the area.

The community leaders expressed concerns over the potential for further loss of life and escalating tensions in the oil-rich region, advocating for the return of confiscated arms and ammunition by the assailants to the authorities.

They criticized the Army’s intervention in what they view as a local dispute, recommending instead that the Federal Government establish an independent commission to thoroughly investigate the events in Okuama and prevent similar future occurrences.

The call extends beyond Okuama, with suggestions to reduce military deployments in other communities across Delta and Bayelsa states, aiming for a more peaceful and measured approach to conflict resolution in the Niger Delta.

The Nigerian Army had since March 15, a day after the lawbreakers killed a lieutenant colonel, two majors, and others at Okuama, laid siege to the community and other neighbouring communities in search of the killers.

Villagers, including women and children, had since fled Okuama and are stranded in the forests for over a week without food, as neighbouring communities, afraid of persecution by prowling soldiers, denied them shelter