Delta killings: Troops recover decomposing hearts of killed soldiers
The Defence Headquarters, in a chilling update yesterday on the recent killing of 18 Army officers and men in Okuama, Delta State, confirmed recovery of the decomposing hearts of some of the victims.
It said the hunt for the perpetrators was intensifying but no significant arrest had been made.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar called the killing of the soldiers a national tragedy while Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike branded it barbaric.
Niger Delta Development Minister, Abubakar Momoh, vowed that the killers would not go unpunished.
Residents of the community who have fled their homes for fear of reprisal are lamenting the horror of starvation and denial they have been going through since the incident.
An ex-Niger Delta militant leader, ‘General’ Endurance Amagbein, who was accused in some quarters as the brain behind the killings, yesterday vehemently denied the allegation.
He said he knew nothing whatsoever about the incident.
The Director Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, told reporters in Abuja that troops were currently conducting clearance operations and cordon and search to recover, among other things, the weapons of the deceased soldiers.
He said their efforts have yielded the recovery of the “decomposing hearts of some of the murdered soldiers.”
Earlier reports had indicated that the people responsible for the soldiers’ death also harvested their hearts and other body parts.
On the list of communities where troops have already conducted operations are Akugbene, Ukuama and Okoloba in Ugheli and Ugheli South of Delta State as well as Ukuama Amusamo, Akwagbe, Arhavwarien, Pirigbene and Igbomatoro communities also in Delta State.
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He said although no significant arrest had been made yet, the DHQ was not unaware of a viral video of a person “admitting to have perpetrated the killing of the soldiers in Delta State.”
He said one of the advantages of the video is that it “helps to narrow investigations to persons of interest and their cohorts.”
He said: “Accordingly, the state governments and host communities of these personalities are required to assist investigation in flushing them out.
“There can be no hiding place for perpetrators of such dastardly act against our nation. This is a clarion call to duty by members of those communities and the state governments.”
Besides the development in Okuama, Buba said troops across other theaters of operation during the week neutralised 106 alleged terrorists and arrested 103 other suspected criminals.
He said troops also arrested 22 oil thieves and rescued 96 kidnap victims.
Buba said troops recovered 171 assorted weapons comprising 47 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, 18 pump action rifles, 17 locally fabricated guns, 14 Dane guns, 12 locally fabricated pistols, one fabricated revolver, one hand grenade, 81mm mortar bomb, one mortar tube and four bandoliers
He said troops also recovered 2,452 assorted ammunition, comprising 995 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 468 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 317 live cartridges, 125 rounds of 9mm ammo, 313 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 13 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm, 19 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 167 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammo, 45 empty shells of 7.62mm NATO, 72 empty cases of cartridges, 14 magazines.
Other items recovered, according to defence spokesperson, are 10 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 19 mobile phones, one bicycle, four baofeng radios, and the sum of N112,920.00 amongst other items.
He said: “Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 51 dugout pits, 17 boats, 15 storage tanks and 4 vehicles. Other items recovered include 21 cooking ovens, 3 pumping machines and 40 illegal refining sites.
“Troops recovered 772,350 litres of stolen crude oil, 80,530 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,500 litres of DPK.”
Buba said the troops would continue to put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect and secure the citizens of this country.
Niger Delta Development Minister Abubakar Momoh said yesterday that the federal government would not waver in its determination to bring the killers of the military personnel to justice.
Law enforcement agencies, according to him, have been mobilized to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
Expressing “my deepest sympathies to the Nigerian Army and the families affected by the barbaric act”, Momoh said the incident “is a profound tragedy that has shaken us all to the core.”
He said: “To the families who have lost loved ones, I offer my sincerest condolences. Your sacrifice and your pain will never be forgotten, and our thoughts and prayers are with you during this incredibly difficult time.
“We stand with you in solidarity, sharing in your grief and offering our unwavering support.
“To the Nigerian Army, I extend my deepest gratitude for your unwavering dedication to protecting our nation. Your bravery and selflessness in the face of danger serve as an inspiration to us all.
“We mourn the loss of your comrades and vow to honor their memory by continuing to support and uplift our armed forces.”
He urged the warring communities of Okuama and Okoloba to exercise restraint and seek peaceful resolutions to their grievances.
According to him, “violence only begets more violence, and further bloodshed will only deepen the wounds already inflicted upon our communities.
“Let us come together in a spirit of unity and cooperation, working hand in hand to build a future free from conflict and strife.”
It’s barbaric, says Wike
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike was similarly inclined in his reaction to the killings.
Wike, who spoke during a visit to him by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said: “It was the most barbaric act that has ever been seen. I don’t think any right-thinking person will ever support such a heinous crime. Not only that the people died, but the way they were killed. It was quite unfortunate.
“We as FCT we support the Nigerian military in whichever way we can to see what we can do to reduce the pains the families of these individuals go through. We are going to support you.”
The minister reiterated the readiness of the administration to build a high technology security rapid response center for security agencies in the territory to stem the tide of criminality.
Wike explained that the centre would be equipped with all forms of technologically driven security gadgets to enable security agencies to effectively fight crime and criminality in the nation’s capital.
In addition to the Rapid Response Centre, Wike promised to provide necessary operational logistics to all the security agencies, including procurement of drones.
He went further: “The budget of FCT has been passed by the National Assembly. We are just waiting for the accent of Mr President. We have concluded to buy drones so that it will help the security agencies in trying to reduce the level of crime.”
Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa said plans were underway for the formation of special standby security forces in the FCT to check insecurity in the territory.
He commended the FCT Minister for changing the narratives in the history of Abuja, and assured him that the Armed Forces were solidly behind him in his quest to ensure that Nigerians are protected.
Tuggar: It’s a national tragedy
Tuggar, during a similar visit by Musa, said the killing of the soldiers was a national tragedy.
He prayed for the repose of their souls and asked the Almighty Lord to grant their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
He ended the condolence message by imploring the relevant authorities to bring the perpetrators of the tragic act to justice.
The troops of the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army were said to be on a peaceful and mediatory mission after a reported communal clash between the Okuama and Okoloba Communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGAs of Delta State.
Ex-militant leader Amagbein dissociates self from killings
Ex-Niger Delta militant leader, ‘General’ Endurance Amagbein, told reporters in his country home in Igbomotoru, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State yesterday that he had no connection whatsoever with the killings.
He described the incident as barbaric, an invitation to anarchy and a sad and ugly commentary on the history of the Niger Delta.
He said no responsible government and well-meaning citizens would condone such a brazen affront on the military.
On allegations that he was the brain behind the killings, he said: “I have been accused of crime I know nothing about. I am a repentant militant and have left bunkering.
“I do not operate any Kpofire site in Delta State and the entire Niger Delta, and I wonder why people are saying that it was my foot soldiers from my Kpofire sites in Delta State that murdered the soldiers.
“My trouble started when I supported the PDP candidate, Governor Douye Diri in the last Bayelsa State governorship election.
“Those accusing me are from the main opposition party in the state who felt I worked against their electoral victory.
“The election in my hometown was peaceful, devoid of any form of intimidation.”
Amagbein called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the military to set up an independent investigation panel to probe the immediate and remote causes of the conflict that led to the mindless killing of the soldiers and bring to book those found culpable.
He emphasised that the rational thing for the military to do is to follow the rules of engagement, working with community leaders to go after the criminals and stop subjecting innocent people to unimaginable torture and avoid the Odi massacre as pictorial and video evidence circulating on the social media point to that direction.
He advised the military to observe rules of engagement in line with international best practices and avoid collateral damage to innocent citizens.
He enjoined community leaders not to allow outlaws to live in their communities but hand them over to law enforcement agents for necessary action, and advised everyone to be peaceful and law abiding in order to avoid future ugly incidents of this magnitude.
Amagbein advised his numerous supporters to remain calm in the face of the ongoing onslaught on innocent people by the soldiers in pursuit of the criminals and expressed deep condolences to families whose loved ones have been killed as a result of the military invasion.
- The Nation