The Defence Headquarters has said that they have been given a mandate to bring the perpetrators of 17 military personnel who were killed in Okuoma, Delta State, to justice.
In an interview on Arise TV news, Major General Edward Buba said the Okuoma crisis was meticulously planned by a faction comprising criminals, cultists, and militants who believed themselves immune to the law due to their lucrative involvement in crude oil theft.
They orchestrated these actions in response to the commanding officer’s stringent measures to root out pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and illegal refineries in the region. This defiance forms a significant aspect of the conflict.
The commanding officer, a resolute lieutenant colonel, had exhibited exceptional leadership across various regions. His untimely demise, akin to that of a helpless fowl, with his head severed and his authority undermined, is utterly deplorable. His dedication and gallantry were unmatched.
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He said, ”The issue of the okuoma issue was premeditated because some criminals, cultists, and militants, who believed they were above the law because they make a lot of money from crude oil thefts.
They did this deliberately because the commanding officer in charge was ensuring that any act of pipeline vandalisation, crude oil thefts, or illegal refineries was completely eradicated from that region.
So that’s part of the issue.The lieutenant colonel himself was a very gallant commanding officer. He did extremely well in all the regions he worked.
For him to be killed like a chicken, beheaded, and disempowered is quite unacceptable. The commander in chief has given us the mandate to recover the arms and arrest the perpetrators.”
The Chief of Defence Staff Speaks on the Legality of the military operations in Okuama… pic.twitter.com/ZO4ilQQMiR
— DEFENCE HQ NIGERIA (@DefenceInfoNG) April 3, 2024
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