Okuama Crisis: Right group expresses concern over plight of civilians, demands for justice

By Ovasa Ogaga,

A Human Rights group, Citizens Rights Concern, Enhancement Initiative, CRCEI, also known as Human Rights Protection Congress, has expressed concern over what it described as the avoidable escalated crisis in Delta Communities over the weekend which left 16 military personnel and an unknown number of residents dead.

Amb. (Pastor ) Edewor Egedegbe-led group in its condolence message in a telephone interview with our correspondent condemned in its entirety the killing of soldiers particularly ranking officers by local hoodlums describing the incident as one absurdity too many, wondering why a land dispute could take such unfortunate dimensions.

Egedegbe who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT of the group called on governments across tiers to promptly institute a high-powered panel to thoroughly investigate the remote and immediate causes of the blood birth in the community involved saying the Nigerian army deserves more better than it was treated by their killers.

The group sought explanations from the army headquarters as to what necessitated the invasion of Okuama community and possibly told the public those who made the “distress call that warranted the invasion of Okuama community where the bloody confrontation ensued.”

Amb Egedegbe group expressed fear over a possible humanitarian crisis arising from the sacking of Okuama community at the heels of the killings as it called on the army to respect the rules of engagement in a civilian environment considering the plight of women, children and the innocent citizens who may have been caught up in the crossfire.

“Okuama community, we were told is under military siege in a worrisome situation like we have found ourselves. What is the plight of women and children in that agrarian community? Do they still have their right to freedom in such a situation under armed conflict? As a Human Rights group, we owe a duty to raise these posers.

“When a community is razed down in a vengeful manner by the military as we saw in Odi some years ago, women and children are left vulnerable and this is our own concern. We are calling on the local, state and federal governments to send relief materials to the vulnerable in that area.”

The crisis, according to Egedegbe group was avoidable if the government had heeded early calls by concerned citizens for intervention but due to the traditional poor attitude to issues of public concern, the agents of government feigned ignorance of the numerous calls for action, hence the situation on the ground.

However, the group expressing curiosity wondered why the use of a gunboat in a peace mission as claimed by the army. It also questions the rationale behind the invasion of a small community like Okuama with such a number and calibre of military personnel to a community of less than 5,000 in population.

“In a peacekeeping mission, the primary stakeholders must be present; why were traditional rulers, President Generals from both communities not there to talk to their people? The Police and the DSS were conspicuously absent in the military’s peacekeeping efforts, and this is not the best practice. The land dispute between the two communities is age-long and all hands must be on deck to resolve it and certainly, the military is not and shouldn’t have been an option.”

Egedegbe stated while sympathising with the families and friends of the deceased security personnel and civilians who may have lost their lives.

It called on the Nigerian army to withdraw its men from Okuama to pave the way for humanitarian assistance to the needy population particularly to shelter the survivors over their heads since their properties including houses have been burnt down by the military.