Okuama Killing: March 14 Culprits Who Killed Soldiers, Our People, Wore Military Uniforms – Eyewitness Claims

An eyewitness to the March 14th killings of soldiers at Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, disclosed that the assailants wore military camouflage.

The witness stated that the gunmen, who came on four speedboats from the Bomadi side, quickly began firing at both soldiers and villagers along the community’s riverside, dressed in military camouflage.

In a conversation with Vanguard, the witness, a resident of Okuama, revealed that upon the soldiers’ arrival in the community on March 14, they requested to see the chairman, who eventually returned from working in the fields.

After being received warmly, the soldiers proceeded to escort him towards the waterside forcefully; however, the women’s opposition led to gunfire.

Her words: “They insisted on going with him (the chairman); they dragged him with others. We held them and dragged them back. From there, the army started shooting, and some villagers fell, and there was a commotion.

“We later heard that as the soldiers were going to the jetty, other boats with people wearing soldiers’ uniforms came, and they started shooting everyone, which is how they killed the soldiers and our people.

“It was when they started shooting again that we fled into this bush with our children; we have not seen some of our children since then. We have been suffering in this bush since March 14.

“We do everything inside this bush. There is no food or drugs, and I have worn this single wrapper since that day. We are hungry and suffering. Two of my children are with me; I do not know where my husband is. I do not know where the other children are, everyone is scattered, whether they are dead now, we do not know.

“We do not know when we will return to Okuama; our businesses have crumbled, and everything is gone. We cannot do anything inside the bush now. I do not know whether my children are amongst those killed; there is no one to ask.”