The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Arm and Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, south-south, Operation Delta state, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, has warned that troops will not rest until all those responsible for the murder of 17 officers and soldiers in Okuama community, Ughelli South local government, are apprehended and held accountable.
He reassured that the operation is being carried out in such a way that no one will consider attacking soldiers in the future, warning that if criminals continue to attack security forces, there will be anarchy.
The GOC made this known when the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku paid him a condolence visit at the Division’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt Barracks.
He said: “Troops will not rest until all those involved are tracked down to account for their deeds. Operation is being conducted in such a way that going forward, nobody would contemplate attacking men in uniform. False narratives being churned out, and propaganda peddled over this mindless criminality would not deter troops from fishing out the criminals.”
The 17 slain officers and soldiers were on a peace mission when youths believed to be Okuoma indigenes ambushed and murdered them.
Outrage greeted the dastardly act from Nigerians, who viewed the situation as unbecoming.
President Bola Tinubu, who on Sunday expressed deep displeasure over their killings, ordered the military to immediately arrest the perpetrators.
He said: “The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and Chief of Defence Staff (Gen. Christopher Musa) have been granted full authority to bring to justice anybody found to have been responsible for this unconscionable crime against the Nigerian people.”
In a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by the Nigerian Army and signed by the Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, the GOC while appreciating the Ogbuku and his team for the visit, said the mission handed to troops by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja is to recover the weapons carted away by the perpetrators of this heinous crime and ensure that all those involved are arrested.
The GOC assured troops conducting operations would be firm, strong, decisive, and professional in the cause of the operations in the general area.
He added that troops will continue to be in the creeks until these objectives are achieved.
Major General Abdussalam appealed to people and communities to assist troops regarding the location of the fleeing criminals and the carted-away weapons.
He also assured that no amount of propaganda, blackmailing, intimidation, and false narratives would distract troops from staying on course to achieve their objectives.
“No amount of propaganda, arm-twisting, blackmailing, intimidation, and false narratives would distract troops from staying on course to achieve their objectives. The operations would be conducted in the most professional manner in line with the global best practice of adherence to rules of engagement and respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry. We call on the people of the Niger Delta Region (NDR) to go about their normal activities.
“We appeal to people and communities to assist troops regarding the location of the fleeing criminals and the carted-away weapons. The Armed Forces of Nigeria is the symbol of our sovereignty, and the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu captured it succinctly when he said an attack on our Armed Forces is an attack on our nation. Therefore, if we allow criminals to continue to attack our security forces, there will be anarchy,” the GOC said.
The GOC appreciated Niger Delta Development Commission Managing Director and his team for identifying with the Nigerian Army in this moment of grief adding that there would not be development without peace and security.
Earlier, NDDC MD, Samuel Ogbuku, while commiserating with the GOC, said Niger Delta has been peaceful, owing to the sacrifices of officers and men of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Ogbuku, however, said no one in the region is in support of this ‘mindless act of criminality’, and called on all critical stakeholders to support the Nigerian Army to fish out the perpetrators of this act.
He assured that NDDC would continue to pray and support the families of the slain officers and soldiers.(The Nation)
