Okuama: Nigerian Government Must End Communal Punishment for Crime of A Few

Okuama: Nigerian Government Must End Communal Punishment for Crime of A Few

It’s been tales of woes for the residents of Okuama town in Ughelli South Local Government since Sunday, when they were visited by unexpected guests of military personnel who were in search of culprits who murdered their colleagues on Thursday, March 14. Every house, they visited thereafter was gutted by fire, and hordes of residents,

It’s been tales of woes for the residents of Okuama town in Ughelli South Local Government since Sunday, when they were visited by unexpected guests of military personnel who were in search of culprits who murdered their colleagues on Thursday, March 14. Every house, they visited thereafter was gutted by fire, and hordes of residents, including women and children maimed and thereafter became missing. Whatever may have happened to them. A few arrests are said to have been made.

The Holy book in Ezekiel 18:20 says: The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” But that is far from the military justice in Nigeria. Every attack on the military comes with grave consequences. The killing of a soldier comes with heavy consequences for both the sinners and the innocent.

Residents of the Okuama community will for a long time curse Thursday, March 14, the day their youths in their bravado killed 17 military personnel who came to quelch unrest from a borderland dispute between their community and their neighbours from Okoloba: kith and kins. The two warring communities have been in dispute over the ownership of a controversial land lying on their border since January. The warfare between the two communities has led to the killing of many people including children. There have also been cases of abductions and injuries on both sides. There are petitions with the Police in Delta state to confirm the lingering crisis and some culprits named.

But on Thursday, March 14, the matter got out of hand and the communities had another fight which led to the death of three people with many others sustaining injuries, and hundreds of residents were left homeless. In a bid to curb the menace, the Nigerian Army allegedly deployed soldiers for a peacekeeping mission to the communities. That is the official narrative.

“The troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, while on a peace mission to OKUAMA community in BOMADI LGA of Delta State, were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, 14 March 2024. The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta State.

“The reinforcement team led by the Commanding Officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the Commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain, and 12 Soldiers.” That’s contained in the first statement by the military on the unfortunate incident.

Photographs of soldiers killed in Okuama.

Consequences: Both communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi local government areas have now been taken over by troops of the 6th Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, who also oversees the 63 Brigade in Asaba.

The exact narrative of what happened may take a while to emerge. All the principal actors are either dead or have taken cover in some bushes or are in the custody of the military who have arrested a few persons. A narrative from some residents of Okuama said the military personnel came supposedly on a friendly peaceful mission. They were shown round the town and later settled down in the town hall where the soldiers were entertained. When it was time for them to leave, they requested that some of the community leaders would have to accompany them to their barracks. This was resisted by the people and that was what ignited problem.

Nigerians would need to await the outcome of a thorough investigations into the matter as has already been ordered by President Bola Tinubu and re-echoed by the Chief of Defence Staff. The investigative panel may be of judicial officers and technocrats. Nigerians would be interested in knowing how the soldiers got involved in trying to settle a civil matter on communal land. Who invited the military? What triggered the youth revolt against the military? Is the dispute over oil in the land? Who fired the first salvo? Why and how did the matter get out of hand? Why was the Police not involved? What happened to the petitions from the community and their lawyer to the Police on the matter?

It’s been alleged that the military went on a reprisal attack four days later, that was on Sunday, and turned the community into a ghost land. Whenever the military engages in such missions, they leave behind sorrow, tears, and blood; described as their regular trademark. This reminds one of one of the lyrics by philosophical Afrobeat Musician Late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti who sang:

Them leave sorrow, tears, and blood
Them regular trademark
Them leave sorrow, tears, and blood
(Them regular trademark) them regular trademark
(Them regular trademark)
That is why
Everybody run, run, run
Everybody scatter, scatter
Someone nearly died
Some people lost some bread
Someone just die
Police dey come, army dey come
Confusion everywhere
Hey yeah

The residents of Okuama have been on the run ever since. Their offence: They have murdered sleep by killing soldiers which is an affront on the nation. But must the lives of the the people come to an end in perpetuity because of this crime? That is what Nigerians are debating.

Historical Perspectives to Attacks on Military and Reprisal Attacks

In 1999, there was a communal crisis over oil-related agitation in a town called Odi in Bayelsa State. Police were called in to douse tension but miscreants from the town murdered 12 policemen. The army was called in but they were ambushed and 8 of them were murdered. In retaliation, the military under the command of then President Obasanjo ordered the invasion of the village on November 20, 1999. A number ranging from 900-2500 civilians according to different estimates, including women and children in Odi Community of Bayelsa State paid the supreme price.

In 2021, the Nigerian Army went on a killing spree after 11 soldiers and a commander were slaughtered by Bonta Boys, a contingent of local militants in Bonta, a town in the Konshisha area of Benue State, for allegedly supporting and supplying arms to their rival group. Several houses and farm stores were burned to dust. Their walls were battered with bullet holes. Their main market in Gbinde was reduced to rubble.

The Zaki-Biam massacre, also known as Operation “No Living Thing”, took place in 2001. It was a mass execution of hundreds of unarmed Tiv civilians by the Nigerian Army between October 20 and 24 2021. Asked after he left office if he had any regrets about both Odi and Zaki-Biam invasions, former President Obasanjo said he had no choice because the people attacked his military personnel.

According to the villagers, the murders were motivated by prior occurrences in which armed individuals in military uniforms raided multiple Tiv villages. The Tiv had a strong suspicion that the military was supporting their Jukun enemies, with whom they had a recurring fight over territory, economic dominance, and political dominance.

Militia of the Tiv ethnic group are believed to have been responsible for the abduction and murder of 19 soldiers, whose mutilated bodies were found in the village of Zaki-Biam on October 12. According to official statements, the soldiers had been deployed to the area to restore law and order following clashes between the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups. Benue and neighboring Taraba states, in the North central geo-political zone have been the scene of longstanding disputes between these two groups.

In retaliation, the Nigerian Army massacred people in Gbeji, Vaase, Anyiin, Iorja, Ugba, Tse-Adoor, Sankera, Kyado and Zaki-Biam, although they denied it.

In 2013, Ombatse ‘cult’ group of Nasarawa killed almost 100 Policemen and 10 DSS operatives. The officers, who included an Assistant Commissioner of Police, were ambushed, dispossessed of their weapons, brutally murdered, and then burnt into cold ash. Soldiers/Police went for the leader of the Ombatse ‘cult’ group and killed him. The entire Alakyo community was not razed. There was a similar incident in Shiroro, Niger State and there were no reports of reprisal attacks of the magnitude being experienced in Delta State.

The Nigerian Army has not owned up to the latest attacks in Okuama. When asked about it: “No reprisals by the army. We are searching for the murderers and their weapon cache,” retorted General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff. In all of these incidents, the military high command never really owns up when they are in the theatre of operation. No soldier has ever been prosecuted for any of these offences in Nigeria. It is doubtful if this would be an exception.

The following questions require answers: Why should an entire community be punished for an offence committed by a few? Is this justifiable? Is it the way it is done in other climes? Is the law for the military different from other laws of the land? Is the retaliatory act by the military not a carryover from the military rule mentality? President Tinubu as a core civilian and an experienced politician must seek ways to wean Nigeria’s military off this attitude.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has called on the Federal Government to put an end to the reprisal attacks by soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area in Delta State.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria urged the military to halt the killings of residents while calling for a full probe of the incident. He condemned the brutal killing of the soldiers and called for the immediate prosecution of the suspects who were arrested for their involvement in the crime

“Having regard to the destruction of Odi and Zaki Biam over the killing of soldiers, the authorities ought to have taken adequate measures to prevent the attack and burning of the affected villages. It is unfortunate that the Federal Government has not issued any statement on the barbaric incident.

“In view of the tragic turn of events, I call on the military authorities to halt the destruction of the properties of innocent people in the warring communities. It ought to be pointed out that collective punishment is a serious offence under domestic and international law.”

Ayo Aluko-Olokun
ADMINISTRATOR
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