By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
On Thursday 14th March, 2024 there was an ugly news report that seventeen Nigeria soldiers on a peace mission in Okuoma, a riverine community in Ughelli South Local Government area of Delta State were allegedly killed by the Okuoma youths and ever since hell has been let loose with the news of reprisal action and threats of reprisal action from the military authorities.
One David Akata, a member of the community narrating the ordeal of his people to the press after the unfortunate incident said among things: “Troops suspected to be men of the Nigerian Army on Friday, March 15, 2024, while chanting war songs, carried out what could be termed genocide on the innocent citizens of the community by setting their buildings ablaze. The gunmen arrived in the community around 8am and started shooting at anyone in sight, thus leaving three killed while several victims injured are currently receiving treatment in a hospital in the state.”
This piece is prompted by the unsavory report from the community that is deserted following military siege. There have been clarion calls and SOS messages from the Okuoma community following the alleged siege over the territory. It is reported that many members of the Okuoma community are stranded in the bush because their neighboring communities could not shelter them for fear of persecution.
And my concern is that during the military reprisal action, it is only the vulnerable groups – the women children and the aged that suffer during such ill-advised military misadventures. The able-bodied men that carry out the heinous crime will run away. It happened in Odi in 1999 under Obasanjo.
Indeed, the statement credited to the military authorities threatening reprisal action against the Okuoma over the killing of some army officers on alleged peace mission is really unfortunate and indicates conflict of responsibility. If soldiers were alleged murdered the first thing to do obviously is to carry out thorough investigation to ascertain the level of involvement. Such emotional outburst of threat smirks of insensitivity and could lead to a miscarriage of justice. Nigeria is a civil society and should do things in a civil manner rather than jungle manner.
I am not in any way supporting the murder of the Nigerian soldiers on official duty. I condemn the killings in its entirety. It was reported that soldiers came to Okuoma community ostensibly on a peace mission in respect of their feud with their Okoloma neighbor after which they demanded to go along with the leaders of community which was resisted by the youths and the ensuing skirmishes resulted in the death of the 17 soldiers.
The incident is indeed regrettable and unfortunate. But we need some clarifications on some issues. What are the soldiers doing in Okoloma? Are they on peace-keeping? Who are the disputing parties? Was there duty legal or illegal? Why did the authorities quick to react on the killings? Who are these soldiers working for?
Some say the Okuoma case was a communal clash. And even if it was, is it the duty of the army? Is it not the function of the police? This is misplaced priority. It is in Nigeria that you have overlapping duties where one agency performs the functions of another for selfish reasons. On the Nigeria highways, you will see Customs, Road Safety, VIO and other agencies doing the work of the police.
Every day Nigerians are being murdered, maimed, kidnapped and hounded by dare-devil bandits and terrorists while our security agencies watch helplessly. Our people cannot go to farms for fear of bandits. Our highways have become war zones where bandits and kidnappers prowl unhindered. The North-eastern part of the country is control of the Boko-Haram insurgents while the North-west is control of the bandits.
The army has not done anything significantly to redeem our territories in the hands of the terrorists and bandits. And this has dire implication. Does it mean that our security agencies are part of the insecurity in the country? Why would the army deploy its soldiers to relatively peaceful regions and not the areas will strong security threat?
Indeed, many are outraged by the alleged outburst of the military authorities on the Okuoma killings. Do they imply in their statement that the life of a soldier is more important than that of the civilian? This is the kind of thinking that creates impunity in our armed forces that tend to make them try to brutalize the civilians. I have no problem with the esprit de corps among the armed forces; it is meant to motivate them and give them a sense of belonging but it is not for them to bully on the civil population that is their primary duty to protect.
They must not lose sight of the fact that they are created to serve and protect the people; that it is the tax payers that pay their salaries not the Chief of Army Staff or the brigade commanders, not even the commander-in-chief.
Who invited the soldiers? Was the feuding communities or the state government? Was the matter beyond the police and the judiciary to try? Okuoma and Okoloba are neighbors and have lived together for centuries.
If they have dispute which is not unusual, the government should intervene using the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism not military option. Whoever sent the military into Okuoma should be blamed for the unfortunate outcome.
I would not be writing this but for the deep respect I have for the Nigerian Army. The army should not allow itself to be rubbished by dirty politicians and unscrupulous elements in our society. Nigeria has a reputation that is internationally acknowledged especially in the area of peace-keeping operation.
Since the colonial era Nigerian army has distinguished itself in this area. During the Babangida era the Nigerian under the ECOMOG Operation restored peace singlehanded in the war-torn Liberia and Sierra-Leone.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK
