Residents of Okuama, an embattled community in Delta State, have accused the army of pulling the trigger first and without provocation.

The Nigerian Army had claimed that the community was complicit in the recent gruesome murder of 16 officers of its 181 Amphibious Battalion.

Although the army is yet to reach a conclusive end in its investigations into the killings that happened on Thursday, Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, claimed on Monday that the community was pushing propaganda to protect the criminals.

This came after some residents of Okuama testified that soldiers shot people dead inside the community’s town hall. Nigerians have expressed concerns about possible reprisal attacks by members of the armed forces, who sometimes act without oversight or regard for human rights.

READ MORE: 16 Soldiers Murdered in Delta Warring Communities

“…the community complicit in this dastardly act has resorted to media propaganda and shenanigans, rather than engage in a positive effort to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime. This again is a clear indication that the murder of the troops was a communally orchestrated attack against legitimate forces,” Nwachukwu’s statement read in part.

“The falsehood being peddled by these criminals and their cohorts to whip up sentiments and sway the public to cover up, endorse or support the outrageous criminal acts of their armed youth gang should be disregarded in its entirety; it is only a ridiculous attempt at justifying their crime rather than turning in themselves to security agencies. There is no amount of propaganda that would arm-twist the narrative, they are complicit and must be ready to face the wrath of the law.”

Some residents of Okuama who witnessed what happened in their community between Thursday and Saturday spoke with DRTV in Warri.

Two Okuama residents said that the soldiers had visited their community for a peacekeeping mission. According to the residents, the soldiers were received in the town hall, and it was all fine until they asked to take the community chiefs away.

According to these residents, who pleaded anonymity, the soldiers reacted violently when the community insisted they leave without their chiefs. They claimed that the soldiers shot at residents and many died.

“On the 14th of March, we were at home when some military officials came to our community. We welcomed them and they said that they wanted to walk around the community. They walked around the community and said that they wanted to have a peace talk at the town hall,” a male resident of Okuama said.

“They went to the town hall. The military men were entertained and welcomed. They (the soldiers) asked for the community chairman and community leaders. They sat with them and had a talk. After that, they asked the chairman and some community leaders to follow them.

“We said that they had had the peace talk with the leaders already so they should leave, but the soldiers insisted they had to take them away. The people said no.

“From there, the army turned the whole story into violence. Right there, in the community town hall, the soldiers started shooting our people there. Killed many of the young people there. People started running; some were killed instantly. Nobody expected any shooting.

“The army went and came back with more reinforcement. About twenty more people were killed immediately.”

“The army – they just changed all of a sudden and opened fire on us. Women and children died. We cannot find some of our children and our parents,” a woman from Okuama said.

“They (the soldiers) killed over 20 of our fellow residents. Some of our buildings were razed. Many residents have fled and there are even dead bodies in the bush where we have been hiding. We want the government to come to our rescue.”

Latest on the Okuama, Ughelli South Delta state matter.
DRTV interviewed the villagers and indigenes of the Okuama community and this is what is happening.
The truth will come out bit by bit. pic.twitter.com/71pYQlke3o

— AKIN (@Akinjoshua2017) March 18, 2024

These residents did not acknowledge that soldiers were killed in Okuama.

While the army continues to assure Nigerians that there will be no reprisal by its troops via statements, some soldiers have already expressed opposite sentiments on social media.

Wheto Joseph Seyon, an aircraft maintenance technician with the Nigerian Air Force, shared a video of former president Olusegun Obasanjo saying he did not regret sanctioning the 1999 Odi massacre.

“My statement. Drops Mic,” Seyon captioned the clip on X.

My statement.

*Drops Mic* pic.twitter.com/ght6dRCu71

— Wheto Joseph Seyon dfr, cfrn (@xeyons) March 17, 2024

READ ALSO: ‘Operation No Living Thing’ and 3 More Heartbreaking Retaliations of Nigerian Army

On Saturday, Tukur Gusau, the acting director of defence information, stated that Okuama youth attacked and killed all 16 soldiers when they went to the community for a peacekeeping mission.

“The troops of 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State While on peace mission to Okuama community in Bomadi LGA of Delta State were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, 14 March, 2024,” Gusau’s statement read in part.

“The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta State.

“The reinforcement team led by the Commanding officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers.”

Some of the comments that have accompanied the condemnation of the killings have called for a proper investigation into possible causes for such a shocking development. There have been allegations of troops’ violence against and killing of civilians in the affected region.

Individual reports, now confirmed by the army on Monday, claimed that the bodies of the soldiers were mutilated and their hearts were ripped out.

The army’s statements made no mention of civilian casualties. However, the president’s statement addressing the March 14 killings mentioned one civilian casualty.

Actual civilian casualties became a topic of debate after some Okuama residents informed the public that soldiers shot many civilians on Thursday.

Reliable details of the murder of the soldiers remain out of reach and, although the army said it had made some arrests, it also said that the perpetrators were still at large.

Journalists based in Delta State said on Tuesday that the authorities had prevented them from gaining access to Okuama community. The military has occupied the community.