Okuama community people in Ughelli South local government area of Delta State yesterday deployed courier services to make their presentations to the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence Investigative Hearing on the incident leading to the gruesome murder of 17 military personnel in the community.
The House Committee’s investigative hearing is “in line with the resolution of the House during its sitting of March 19, 2024, to investigate the remote causes of the incident”.
The House Committee members led by Hon. Babajimi Benson, representing Ikorodu federal constituency waited endlessly for indigenes of troubled Okuama community to come and make their presentations.
Until press time, Okuama indigenes did not show up physically owing to “fear of arrest or intimidation by the military” but used other means possible to make their presentations.
However, while the waiting by the lawmakers lasted beginning from 10.45 a.m. when they arrived the sitting venue, the House Committee Chairman on Defence, Hon. Benson, disabused the minds of Okoama indigenes who might be worried about their safety that there would be no witch-hunting whatsoever.
“The community people are scared to come out vis a vis another list of wanted people being released. They have sent in a memorandum and we’re still giving them a week to turn in further memorandum in the next one week.
“The House of Representatives Committee on Defence looks forward to a robust engagement and meaningful contributions from all stakeholders. We came in Tuesday. We met Oborevwori and we told him our mission. We’re here today (Wednesday) to see members of the community in camera and by way of memoranda.
“We’ve received a lot of memoranda from them but they’ve not turned out physically. The window is extended for a week.
So we’re still expecting a lot more memorandum from the people of Okuama community.
“We’ve assured the governor and the people that we have the full backing of the House of Reps to ensure that this matter is reviewed from both sides and followed to a logical conclusion.
“ We’ve dedicated our time to ensure justice is done and people return to their community perhaps better than it was before.
“We need to be fully armed with enough information before we visit Okuama. We will visit the place after hearing from the victims themselves,” he said.
He revealed that “the Committee had received some useful memoranda on the incident from some stakeholders” advising that “members of the public who are willing to submit memorandum should do so in 10 copies and submit same to the Committee within one week of this publication to the Clerk of the Committee, Musa Aliyu, Room 315 White House, House of Representatives, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja; Or at the Public Investigative Hearing.”
Recall that 17 military personnel including a lieutenant colonel, two majors and a captain were ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen while travelling to Okuama on a peace mission over a land dispute between Okuama and Okoloba communities.
However, following the unfortunate killing of the soldiers, military personnel in what is considered to be reprisal attack destroyed all property in Okuama riverine community with residents now taking refuge in neighbouring bushes of Ewu Kingdom.