Military operatives have been accused of reportedly invading riverine communities of Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom following the killing of soldiers around Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered soldiers are laying siege to Orere, Omosuomo and Olota communities were some houses were reportedly razed in the process.
They were also accused to have assaulted and arrested some youths from the communities while some residents fled into the bush and neighbouring communities in the area.
NIGER DELTA TODAY Online reported that unknown gunmen had attacked and murdered 17 soldiers including a lieutenant colonel, two majors and a captain near Okuama community while on a peace-keeping mission to the Urhobo community.
Alarmed with the military siege in the community, the people of Orere community of Ewu-Urhobo kingdom have called on the Federal and Delta Governments to come to their aid over the alleged invasion of their community.
Orere community also alleged that the military personnel tortured villagers while in search for weapons and escaping refugees from Okuama community.
The community alleged that soldiers stormed the riverine village with five gunboats through the waterways, while four Hilux army vehicles came through the Ewu axis last Thursday.
According to a local boat transporter in the community, Mr. Adjoka Morrison, “On March 21, I was at the river side preparing for my daily business when I saw the Nigerian Army with five gun boat and four Hilux loaded with soldiers.
“They held and bundled me into one of the gunboats and took me to the other river bank of the community and as they were taking into the community, they were shooting sporadically, they messed so many of us up, one the army punched my right eye.”
Narrating his ordeal, Orere community chairman, Mr. Michael Edameneri said, “We woke up to hear sound of gun shots at the waterside of our community and I saw both old and the young running and scampering for safety.
“As the community chairman, when I came out, I saw multitude of the Nigerian Army entering the community from different direction and I introduced myself to them and they took me to the town hall.
Before we got there, they have assembled almost everyone for interrogation, our former chairman, Mr Ighoteguono was injured in his head with their gun butt.
“They separated me from others as they started interrogating me, they asked me to take them to where we keep our guns, I told them we do have any guns except for our local vigilantes.
They were interrogating me at gun point and they were also having me videoed, and a drone with the treat to kill me if I should lie to them but I insisted that we do not have any gun or refugees in the community.
“One of the army told me point blank that our people have been killing their colleagues at the riverside and they are ready to kill anyone.
“While interrogation was going on, one of the army personnel used a key to open a room store at the town hall in search for what I could not explain. They went to my compound and destroyed doors, busted many houses in Orere, but they did not find anything.
“They also asked me to agree that the community should be burnt down because we are hiding people from them or they will take me along with them.
“They took me to the entrance of the community, where the shrine is situated; they destroyed and desecrated the entire place in search of guns and people.
“We are calling on the state and federal government to come our aid because we a peace loving community, we are not harbouring any one here in Orere neither do we have guns.
The Vigilante unit chairman in Orere community, Mr Udoji Sylvester said, “When I heard the gunshots, I came out from my house to inquire only for me to see soldiers everywhere and upon my inquiry to know what was happening, they shouted me down and ordered me to follow them to our town hall.
“On getting there, all the men, youths and women were made to lie down and i saw some of the soldiers brutalizing them and I told them that, we are a peaceful community and as vigilante, we maintain peace at all times.
“Before I could finish speaking, slaps were just coming like a common criminal and I had a torn lip, they sized and made away with 12 of our vigilante local guns with inscriptions of Ughelli South Vigilante on them.”
Calling on the government for assistance, president general of Orere community, Mr. Dennis Edafeamredje said, “My people called me that they were under siege by the Nigerian Army and from what I was told, the military men that came through land and water were over 200.”
In a similar vein, soldiers also reportedly invaded Omosuomo community were they allegedly set three houses ablaze. They soldiers were said to have stormed the community in their numbers as villagers fled for safety.
A former President-General of the community who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of arrest noted that no fewer than 15 persons were injured during the military raiding of the Ewu community.
Our source appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to call the military men to order, adding that two indigenes namely Mr. Diamond Godday Umukoro and Mr. Micheal Omeyadonor were arrested.
It was gathered the situation was no different at Olota community, another Ewu-Urhobo community, where soldiers reportedly brutalised some community in the process.
“They were shooting sporadically and that brought the fear into the mind of our people and many ran into the bush and up till this moment, some parents are still looking for their children.
“The scene was a traumatizing one, because they have not experienced any thing of this nature before now. They were demanding from the community chairman those that ran from Okuama to Orere community
“The distance from Orere to Okuama Community in nearly 50km and Orere is not in any way close and there is nothing that connect us to Okuama in any way.
“Even if they are investigating what transpired in Okuama, the way and manner the Nigerian Army are going about is not right.
“I held on the news when Mr President orders for full scale investigation and if the Nigerian Army is going on full scale investigation and they are killing the everybody around, I don’t think they are investigating anything rather they are using fuel to put off the fire that is already burning.
“I want to beg the president, the Nigerian Army and Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and other relevant authorities to let them know that Orere has no hand in whatever that is happening.
“They have come, they have searched and they did not find any thing incriminating or implicating, so whatever they took from here, should be returned and they should not come back to Orere again because it is a traumatizing scene for our people because we speak, people are still missing.”
