Oshoma Condemns Killing Of Soldiers In Delta – Calls For Robust Investigation

Liborous Oshoma, a Constitutional Lawyer, social commentator and political analyst, has condemned the killing of military personnel in Delta State and called for ‘robust inquiries’ of the incident.

Gatekeepers News reports that the soldiers, who were on a peacekeeping mission, were killed on March 14 in the Okuama community.

Asked how he felt about the news during an interview on The Big Story on Inspiration FM 92.3, Oshoma said: “I was devastated because I am human, and all these soldiers are humans. They have families, and their families will be expecting them during Easter and Salah. Secondly, I grew up in Barack, and I knew what it takes to train military personnel, and these soldiers didn’t die on the battlefield; they died at the hands of civilians whom they are protecting.”

The Ijaw National Congress recently raised allegations of extrajudicial killings by the Nigerian military but the monarch claimed that those killed are perpetrators who slain the soldiers.

Asked about his stance on both claims, Oshoma responded:  “When reports like this come up, we analyze them critically and juxtapose them with realities. The military said that they know the people that did this, that they are on their tail, and they have been searching for them. And the military, as we speak, is still in Gbomotoro, Okoloma, and Otuama. And the Monarch is saying that the people who carried out this killing are the ones killed. So, which means, if you juxtapose it with the military account, it means the military have already killed those people that killed their soldiers.

“A former House of Representatives member who came from Gbomotoro 1 and 2 said 10 people were killed, and there are also other persons that were killed but he does not know their names. That’s another account. I have also listened to the account of the UPU Youth Congress President, Urobo Progressive Union Youth President, who said that in Otuama, which is an Urobo village community, that the villagers have been locked down, chased into the bush, and they cannot access water or food. That is another account.

“That is why I recommend robust inquiries; all parties including the military, the communities, the community leaders, police, DSS, politicians, etc., must all be involved in the inquiries.

“Tompolo, in one of his interviews, claimed that behind every bunkering or oil installation that is vandalized, there are military people, police, navy, soldiers, who are accomplices. That there are military personnel, police officers, navy personnel, and soldiers who are accomplices. And whenever you see a pipeline vandalized, just a few meters away, there is a military checkpoint. So, that implies there is collusion. Hence, none can claim innocence more than the other. Moreover, these militants, we know how politicians have consistently used and armed them, eventually becoming more powerful than those who initially empowered them for political purposes. Therefore, if we are to solve the problem, the military alone cannot do it alone.”

Urobo Renaissance Assembly has accused Endurance Okode, a.k.a. General Amagben, of illicit activities and implicating the Bayelsa State government. They also claimed that Colonel Ali was marked for murder because he had become a problem to Amagben’s illicit crude oil business.

In his opinion on the allegation, Oshoma said: “Yes. First I will caution and advise the Ururobo nation. They should not start a war. We know how the war between the IJaws and the Urobo ended in Warri. They shouldn’t start another war with the IJaws. The government house in Bayelsa is open to everyone. You have police. You have soldiers. Mounting guards in the government house. The government house is not hidden. It is accessible to every everyone. You have a lot of people that are guarding this place. Has the military gone there and they were denied access? Or even pay visit to the government house and use the opportunity to move around to see if anything sinister is going on? Is the government house under lock and key, and people are not allowed to go in there? Or that once you get in there, you are protected? These are not allegations that we should be pursuing at this time of national tragedy.

“We should not politicize this thing as I am also aware that APC in Bayelsa had made similar allegations.

“Nembe community, as recent as 2020, I remember because I participated in discussion of that Nembe Basabere community crisis, and how the government, then declared some persons, allegedly loyal to Silva wanted over military activities.

“In the last election, you remember a polling officer was shot dead, even a DPO, a DPO was harassed and his uniform torn at Nembe. That’s Silva’s stronghold. Nobody said anything. So, now, maybe the APC are trying to use this opportunity to create a distraction or take a pound of flesh from the Governor of Bayelsa State.

“The military has said they are on the trail of the boys that perpetrated and that they will soon arrest them. The military has not said that the boys are in government house. Therefore I will take that allegation with a pinch of salt.”