Soldiers have traced the militant leader allegedly behind last Thursday’s killing of 16 soldiers at Okuama Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, to the riverine Igbomoturu community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, where they killed some youths, who resisted their incursion, and razed some houses belonging to militants.
The soldiers, who arrived in seven gunboats and a passport boat at about 8.00 am on Sunday, cordoned off the community, forcing villagers to scamper for safety into the bush.
Troops also swooped on the Akugbene community in Bomadi Local Government Area, to arrest perpetrators alleged to have fled to the community.
The soldiers brought the Akugbene community chairman and many others to Bomadi, headquarters of the council area over allegations that they harbored the fleeing chairman of Okuama community and other suspects.
However, the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Monday, visited the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian military at Bomadi.
Oborevwori’s visit brought a heavy security presence in the riverside town. From the early hours of the day, combined security forces were stationed armored vehicles at strategic locations, while a helicopter hovered around.
The governor headed straight to the military base at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC Road, in Bomadi where he held a closed-door meeting that lasted over an hour with the army authority.
Findings revealed that the governor’s visit was in connection with last week’s killing of soldiers and the consequent razing of the Okuama community.
However, Vanguard’s effort to speak with the governor on his visit was futile as he reserved comments.
Meanwhile, the Member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South, and Udu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive has called for a ceasefire in the ongoing siege by the military to the Okuama community in Delta State, saying that razing the community was not the solution to the killing of 16 soldiers.
Waive, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, in a statement, yesterday, condemned the killings in the Okuama community, Ewu Clan in Ughelli South local government area, a part of his constituency, and called for peace and order.
