Following the killing of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community area of Delta State, residents who fled for fear of reprisal have decried snake bites and hunger in the bushes where they ran for cover.
One of the fleeing residents on Sunday told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity that children and elders were dying in the bush where they took refuge.
This was as the lawmakers representing the region sought an independent probe, dialogue and humanitarian aid for innocent residents.
A community source said, “The bush our people ran to for safety, snakes are now biting our children and elderly ones to death and hunger is killing others.
“The state government is not responding, our people have died in the community and are now vulnerable, children and elderly ones are dying in the bush and the government is not doing anything.
“They have not set up a commission of inquiry, no support, our people are going through pain. We are calling on the government to come to our aid.
“We are also calling on the international communities to come to our aid. This is total oppression; they don’t want us to speak and people are only hearing one side of the story.
“As I speak to you now, everybody is switching off their phones because they are monitoring our calls.
“You know that our king is now before the military. It is very terrible what we are going through.”
The source urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain what happened in the community.
In his Easter message, the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ede Dafinone, called for peace and prayers for the victims of the Okuama crisis.
In a statement made available to journalists in Warri, Dafinone said “peace is a priceless gift” just as he appealed for restraint from all actors in the Okuama crisis to prevent any further escalation of the violence.
The lawmaker advised that the government should allow for an independent and unbiased panel of investigators to probe the incident and bring all the perpetrators to book.
Dafinone said, “The loss of precious lives in the Okuama crisis is a stark reminder of the fragility of peace and the need for all stakeholders to prioritise dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect. As we mourn the victims and stand in solidarity with their families, I urge restraint from all parties involved, particularly the military authorities, to prevent further escalation of violence and bloodshed, and furthermore to allow an independent probe to unearth the truth surrounding despicable act and bring the perpetrators to book.
“This Easter, let us use this period of solemn reflection to come together as a nation and engage in introspection on the events leading to this tragic and avoidable loss of lives. We must examine our collective conscience and rededicate ourselves to the principles of justice, equity, and peaceful coexistence.”
Dafinone described Urhobo people as “very peaceful, hospitable and enterprising.”
“They have contributed greatly over the years to the development of this country in all spheres of national development. Therefore, the incident of Okuama does not in any way define our people, hence efforts should be made by the Nigerian state and its institutions not to punish innocent Urhobos on account of the actions of a few criminals whose true identities are yet unknown,” Dafinone said.
On his part, the lawmaker representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives, Francis Waive, said his request for clemency for the displaced victims of Okuama crisis in Ughelli South LGA was borne out of the humanitarian gesture.
The lawmaker had on the floor of the House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday made the call seeking clemency for the displaced people of Okuama after the killings of 17 soldiers.
Speaking with journalists in Ughelli on Saturday, Waive, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, clarified that his call was “not an admission of guilt.”
He said, “My plea was not an admission of guilt, I must state that very clearly. My people of Okuama in Ughelli South didn’t kill any soldier as far as I know and we don’t want anybody to insinuate that for any reason.
“Those people living there; about two to three hundred of them are peasant farmers, they can’t kill a human being, not to mention 17 military officers. So, who do you think might have done this kind of dastardly act?
“I cannot say precisely that I know anyone regarding this but I think this must be the handiwork of fifth columnists who have separate agendas but unfortunately took advantage of the problem Okuama is having with Okoloba across the river.
“In the meetings of the settlements held, the soldiers were welcomed in the Urhobo tradition. Where they had a difference was that they wanted some people to follow them but the community said the people could not follow for the simple reason that they felt that they were going to the headquarters of the enemy.
“They said the land in dispute was in Ughelli South, so if they were going somewhere, then it should be Ughelli South and not the enemy’s territory because it was not fair to them. So, there was a little argument and the soldiers left peacefully.”
Waive further said, “Since people have been in the bush for up to three or five days without food or water I think there is a need to send relief to them in the spirit of our common humanity.
“The National Emergency Management Authority can go there with food, water, blankets, drugs and mosquito nets because mosquitoes and other things are dealing with them in the bush. They need to be rescued.
“The number of the people who have died as a result of the death of the soldiers is huge. We can’t wipe out the entire village so that only those inhabitants of the village who are in cities would be the ones alive. That would amount to genocide and this is not part of the assignment of our gallant officers.
“As provocative as what has happened, we must go after the killers of these soldiers and bring them to justice. I am a hundred percent for that. Whoever the man is, wherever they came from and whoever they might be, they must come to justice.
“However, my people who are currently trapped in the bush must be shown some mercy. Let me ask you, what can a woman who goes to the farm with her cutlasses and hoes know about killing soldiers or a child who follows his parents to the farm? That is why I am asking for clemency for them and I am glad my plea for that amendment was passed by the House”.
Waive had earlier condemned in strong terms the killings in the Okuama declaring that what was done to the soldiers was barbaric.
Commenting on the present situation in Okuama, he expressed worry over the reprisal on the community by the military which, he said, had resulted in untold suffering from hunger and starvation, saying “it is now time for the soldiers to pull out and allow for an independent investigation”.
“In the provocation that is largely inhumane, the army has come out and burnt the entire community down and killed so many people. Many people have also run into the bush to avoid the soldiers’ vengeance.
“You know the place is an island, those who ran into the bush are now suffering from starvation while the soldiers are still hunting them. They can’t cross the river around them.
“So, I think it is now time for the soldiers to pull out and allow for an independent investigation. We believe that an independent investigation will unearth the real perpetrators of this deed and their motives. That is why I raised the amendment on the motion that it should not be the army doing the investigation but the House Committee on Defence so that all the parties involved could come and testify.”