One of the suspected killers of the 17 slain soldiers in Okuama community, Ughelli South Local Council Area of Delta State, has narrated what prompted their heinous action.
Grassroots Parrot reports that this revelation was coming barely a week after the soldiers were ruthlessly murdered in the South-South State.
The Nigerian Army had on Monday released the names and pictures of the 17 soldiers killed in a Delta state community.
Last Thursday, 17 military personnel — comprising a lieutenant colonel, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers were killed while reportedly on a “peacekeeping mission” in Okuama, Bomadi LGA of Delta.
Some hours after the incident, several houses in the community were reportedly on fire on what appeared as a reprisal but the military denied its involvement.
In a statement released on Monday, the Nigerian Army said the killing was masterminded by members of the community, noting that the troops would not retaliate.
However, in a trending TikTok video, the young man, who did not bother to mask his face, dismissed reports that the killed soldiers were on a peace mission to the community.
He claimed that they were rather there to fight on behalf of the neighbouring Okoloba community in the lingering land dispute. While Okuama is Urhobo, Okoloba is Ijaw.
The gang leader disclosed that the soldiers earlier came and took away some people and allegedly killed them, only to come back to arrest Okuama community leaders.
Speaking in Pidgin English, the leader said that his father, a retired Nigerian Army Captain, died last year.
He speaks further in the video, which he repeatedly said would be his last: “Okuama and Okoloba get land issue. Small crisis come dey dey. Ijaw people wey Federal Government give power … dat man go use army carry people from Okoloba community. Now dey don dey come back to come carry community leaders. And once they carry community leaders, you know the youths are powerless.”
The gang leader said that in the circumstances, they had no regret in killing the soldiers.
The 17 victims, all of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, were murdered on March 14.
The Nigerian Military has launched a manhunt for the suspects.
