“It was not a reprisal attack on Delta” — Army HQ

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has refuted claims of a reprisal carried out by the Nigerian Army against the Okuama community in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

This comes in the wake of a tragic incident where 16 army personnel, including a Commanding Officer, two Majors, a Captain, and 12 soldiers from the 181 Amphibious Battalion, were killed by youths in the community.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) disclosed that the soldiers fell victim to a deadly attack by some youths of the Okuama community while on a peace mission. Major General Jamal Abdussalam, the General Officer Commanding the 6 Division Nigerian Army, spearheaded a rigorous manhunt in response to the incident.

In a statement issued over the weekend, the DHQ revealed that several arrests had been made in connection with the killings. Additionally, the military heightened its presence in the region, conducting patrols in the creeks to apprehend individuals involved in the attack.

However, amidst these efforts, disturbing images and videos emerged online showing houses in the Okuama community reportedly razed by soldiers in a purported reprisal attack. When approached by Reuters for clarification on Monday, Defence Chief General Musa categorically denied any involvement of the army in initiating a reprisal against the community.

Musa stated, “No reprisals by the army. We are searching for the murderers and their weapon cache.”