Some Delta youth in the Okuoma community in the Bomadi local government area of Delta state on Thursday laid an ambush and killed 16 soldiers, who were on a peacekeeping assignment to the area.
Those killed in the Delta youth ambush include the commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain, and 12 soldiers.
This is contained in a statement by Tukur Gusau on Saturday.
According to him, the soldiers were caught off guard and lost their lives when they rushed to help after a clash broke out between the Okuama and Okoloba villages in Delta.
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“A group of young individuals attacked and fatally injured 16 officers and soldiers from the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army who were on a peacekeeping assignment in the Okuoma community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta on Thursday.
The individuals who lost their lives included the commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain, and 12 soldiers.”
Mr. Gusau mentioned that Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, has ordered a quick investigation and the apprehension of those responsible for the terrible crime.
For many years today, Nigerian soldiers have been drafted for intervention in sections of the country, including the Southeast where members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) have weighed supreme; the Northeast where Boko Haram and ISWAP have also dominated; the Southsouth where elements of oil bunkering have had their say, and the Northwest where banditry is in its full swing.
Bomadi is an Ijaw local government area in Delta State, Nigeria. The town lies on the bank of the Forcados River.
It has eleven communities, namely: Ogriagbene, Esanma, Akugbene, Ogbein-ama, Bomadi, Kpakiama, Ekamuta-gbene, Azebiri, Ogodobiri, Okoloba, and Kalafuo-gbene.
Delta State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State on August 27, 1991.
Bordered on the north by Edo State, the east by Anambra and Rivers states, and the south by Bayelsa State while to the west is the Bight of Benin which covers about 160 kilometres of the state’s coastline.
The state was initially created with 12 local government areas in 1991 which was later extended to 19 and now has 25 local government areas. Asaba is its state capital located along the River Niger on the northeastern end of the state, while the state’s economic center is Warri on the southwestern coastline.