metro
Okuama massacre: Villagers boycott Reps hearing over fear of arrest
Okuama massacre: Villagers boycott Reps hearing over fear of arrest
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence were in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday for an investigative hearing into the deaths of 17 military soldiers in Okuama town, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State.
The investigative hearing was held in accordance with the House’s resolution passed on March 19 to explore the remote causes of the tragedy.
Chronicle NG reports that 17 military personnel, including a lieutenant colonel, two majors, and a captain, were ambushed and killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen while they were in Okuama on a peacekeeping mission.
Following the incident, military soldiers damaged and razed buildings in the Okuama riverine settlement as a form of retaliation, forcing inhabitants to seek safety in the nearby bushes of Ewu Kingdom.
The House committee members, led by Babajimi Benson, arrived at the sitting location at the Government House Annex, Edjeba, in the state’s Warri South Local Government Area, around 10.45 a.m., but had to wait for indigenes from the troubled Okuama community to make their presentations.
However, during the waiting period, sources stated that the locals did not show up due to “fear of arrest or intimidation by the military.”
However, when addressing journalists, the committee chairman stated that the committee has received useful memoranda about the incident from many parties.
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Benson also assuaged Okuama indigenes who were concerned about their safety by stating that “there would be no witch hunt whatsoever.”
He asked members of the public who wish to submit a memorandum to do so in ten copies and submit them to the committee within one week.
He stated that they could submit such memoranda to the committee’s clerk, Musa Aliyu, at the National Assembly in Abuja or at the public investigative hearing.
He said, “The House of Representatives Committee on Defence looks forward to a robust engagement and meaningful contributions from all stakeholders.
“We came in yesterday (Tuesday). We met Governor Oborevwori, and we told him our mission. We’re here today (Wednesday) to see members of the community on camera and by way of memoranda.
“We’ve received a lot of memoranda from them, but they’ve not turned out physically. The window is extended for a week. So we’re still expecting a lot more memoranda from the people of the Okuama community.
“We’ve assured the governor and the people that we have the full backing of the House of Representatives to ensure that this matter is reviewed from both sides and followed to a logical conclusion.”
Benson promised the locals protection and urged them to come forward.
He said, “The community people are scared to come out vis-à-vis another list of wanted people being released. They have sent in a memorandum, and we’re still giving them a week to turn in a further memorandum in the next week.
“The clerk of the house is receiving the memory. We’ve dedicated our time to ensuring justice is done and people return to their community, perhaps better than it was before. We need to be fully armed with enough information before we visit Okuama. We will visit the place after hearing from the victims themselves,” he said.
Okuama massacre: Villagers boycott Reps hearing over fear of arrest
metro
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.
The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.
His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.
“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.
“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.
“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.
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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
metro
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.
Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.
According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.
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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.
Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.
Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.
He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
(NAN)
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