By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday declared eight suspects, seven men and a woman wanted over the killing of 17 military personnel in Okuama community in Delta State.
Director Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, declared the suspects wanted while, unveiling their pictures, during the biweekly briefing in Abuja.
Buba said that the Nigerian military will do everything humanly possible to hunt down the suspected killers, even if it means placing bounty on them.
The suspected killers whose pictures were unveiled to the public include, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbono, Prof. Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Igoli Ebi, Atata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, and Reuben Baru.
Buba said that the military must not allow its personnel to be murdered again in such a barbaric manner by those they were deployed to protect.
He noted that the armed forces are a force for stability that employs both kinetic and non-kinetic measures to achieve the desired end.
“Before the ugly incident, the military had constructed several civic projects in Delta State as a sign of goodwill. For instance, the construction of Multipurpose Hall and Borehole Projects in Patani LGA and Medical Outreach at Aladja Community in Udu LGA all in Delta State, among several others.
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“Needless to mention, the elders and community leaders must expose these wanted persons,” the Director said.
He nevertheless, assured that troops would continue with their efforts until the culprits were found, arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law.
Buba said, “The banner of eight wanted persons involved with the killing including a woman is hereby released. Accordingly, it is necessary to state that citizens are our first line of intelligence and must rise to the occasion in honour of their nation.”
The Director Defence Media Operations, however, noted that during the week under review, troops killed no fewer than 212 terrorists and arrested 252 others.
Troops, he added also arrested 29 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 244 kidnapped hostages.
He said that in the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Billion Fifty Million Seven and Fifteen Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Naira only.
He also disclosed that troops equally discovered and destroyed 102 dugout pits, 41 boats, 36 storage tanks, and 8 vehicles.
“Other items recovered include 39 cooking ovens, six pumping machines, and 61 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 944,700 litres of stolen crude oil, 171,060 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 1,500 litres of DPK,” he further revealed.
Buba concluded that troops would continue to eliminate threats posed by this terrorist and their cohorts.
*Falana faults process
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised the decision of the defence headquarters to declare murder suspects wanted in connection with the killing of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community in Delta State.
Falana termed the move “completely illegal” and called on the Federal Government to intervene and redirect the investigation to the appropriate authorities.”
Falana made this statement yesterday following the announcement by the defence headquarters declaring eight persons wanted for their alleged roles in the gruesome murder of 17 military personnel, including a lieutenant colonel, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers. The soldiers were killed during a “peacekeeping mission” in the Okuama community on March 14.
According to Falana, murder is not a military offence, and therefore, the investigation of murder suspects should not fall under the purview of the defence headquarters. He emphasized that the federal government must step in and instruct the defence headquarters to transfer the investigation to the appropriate civilian law enforcement agency.
“The decision of the defence headquarters to declare the murder suspects wanted is completely illegal. Let the federal government direct the defence headquarters to hand over the investigation of the suspects involved in the gruesome murder of the 17 officers and soldiers,” Falana stated.
