- The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has explained how gunmen were able to kill soldiers in Okuama community in Delta state
- Musa said the hoodlums ambushed the soldiers because they went to the community without arms and ammunition
- He warned other suspected killers of the soldiers to surrender themselves just as the traditional ruler did next week
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy.
FCT, Abuja – The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, said the killed soldiers were unharmed because they went to the Okuama community in the Ughelli South local government area of Delta state for dialogue.
Musa said the gunmen took advantage of the no-ammunition appearance of the soldiers, ambushed and shot them dead.
Photo credit: @HQNigerianArmy
Source: Twitter
He made this known during an interview on an Arise TV programme on Wednesday, April 3, The Punch reports.
He added that the gunmen would have been eliminated if the Commanding Officer and his team had been fully harmed.
“He did not go armed. If he had gone armed, he would have erased everybody in that place, but he felt these were people he knew, these were Nigerians that he could talk to.
“And when he stepped up to talk to them with his team, they were rounded up and all shot, and not only shot, their body parts were cut, their hearts and private parts were removed.”
Musa warned the seven other suspects declared wanted to turn themselves in as His Royal Majesty Clement Oghenerukevwe Ikolo, Urhukpe 1 did last Thursday, March 28.
He said the traditional ruler made the best decision by surrendering himself to the Delta state police command.
As reported by The Nation, Musa accused traditional rulers in the LGA of complicity in the killing of the soldiers.
He said the “hands and private parts ” of the slain military personnel were removed by the killers whom it claimed extended the proceeds of “pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and illegal refineries” to some of the traditional rulers.
Full names, photos of soldiers Killed in Delta
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Defence Headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, released the full names and photos of the soldiers killed in the Okuama community.
This was contained in a post shared via the DHQ X handle (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday, March 18.
According to the post, 17 army officers were killed including a Lt Col, two majors and a captain. The DHQ prayed that the souls of the departed fallen heroes rest in peace.
Source: Legit.ng
