Video: How 16 Soldiers Were Killed In Delta – Major General Esekhaigbe Reveals

A retired Army Major General, Cecil Esekhaigbe, has given further insight into the unfortunate incident that led to the gruesome killing of 16 military personnel in Delta State recently.

Naija News had reported earlier that the military personnel were brutally murdered in the Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Amid concerns about the disturbing event, Esekhaigbe, while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief breakfast show on Monday, clarified that the assailants ambushed the soldiers.

While responding to questions on how armed military men were attacked and killed in such a manner, Esekhaigbe said the troops were not there to engage in combat but rather to investigate the situation regarding their colleagues who had been taken hostage while on a peacekeeping mission in the village.

He emphasized that if the soldiers had been adequately prepared for the situation in Okuama, none of them would have lost their lives.

Watch the interview below:

Recall that the unfortunate incident occurred on Thursday, March 14, 2024, when the military personnel responded to a distress call following a communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State.

Tragically, the beheaded bodies of the slain soldiers were later discovered in a nearby river, while some had their stomachs and hearts brutally torn out.

Naija News reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate, the host Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, along with civil society organizations, have denounced the brutal murder of the soldiers and have urged for the apprehension and prosecution of those responsible.

Nevertheless, during the weekend, some enraged soldiers patrolling the creeks reportedly set fire to the village following the deaths of their comrades, causing residents of the coastal community to flee to neighboring Ughelli.

Also, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), who criticized the soldiers’ killings, has now criticized the military’s retaliation, stating that innocent individuals should not be targeted, even in times of war.