Wetin we know about di operation inside Igbomotoru community wia report say Army dey find suspect wey get hand for soldiers murder for Okuama

Former member wey dey represent Southern Ijaw federal Constituency for di House of Reps dey call on di military to allow pipo get access to di areas dem don block afta di brutal killing of some soldiers for Okuama community, Delta State.

Henry Daniel Ofongo wey come from Igbomotoru community confam for Arise TV say di Nigerian military presently dey for Igbomotoru community as dem don track a prime suspect for di killings of di soldiers for Okuama go Igbomotoru community.

Ofongo allege say over 10 pipo don die inside di military operation for im community for Igbomotoru.

Im also allege say di military don block di waterways into di community and pipo no fit go in and come out.

Ofongo confam say di suspect papa na from Okuama community, Delta State and im mama from Igbomotoru, Southern Ijaw LGA bayelsa State and di military trace am come Igbomotoru.

E add say di military suppose carry out investigation and arrest as di normal procedure instead of blocking di waterways.

Dis e say make am impossible for even di state goment to access dis communities.

E call on di military to work by di rules of engagement wey dey guide such military operations and conduct demsefs in a way wey innocent pipo no go suffer or fall victim for wetin dem no know.

Wetin dey happun for Igbomotoru ?

BBC Pidgin speak with some indigenes of Igbomotoru wey tell us more about wetin dey happun dia.

One of dem Ayebatari Easterday narrate say di community need urgent intervention now.

According to am, on Sunday 17 March, gunboats loaded with some soldiers enta di community.

"Now due to lack of proper communication between di soldiers and di youths soldiers begin attack di community, dey shoot dem.

As of dis morning, l learn say pipo die and a few houses dey burnt down.

A lot of pipo wey no wan risk dia lives run enta bush and till now dem neva see dem." E tok.

E add say nobodi fit travel out or travel into di community as di military don block evriwia so di food and oda necessities dey short so di pipo dey in serious need.

Dr. Ayibaekipriye Solomon Suobo, di Councillor wey dey represent Ward 6 Igbomotoru communities for di local goment say di incident wey happun on Sunday 17 March 2024 dey related to di attack on military personnel for Delta State even though Okuama community dey very far away from dia community for Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State.

"We learn say na becos of dat attack for Delta State na im make di military come attack our community for Igbomotoru.

Presently, di casualty figures dey increase as some deadibodi dey float along di river." ." E tok.

Dr. Suobo explain say e get an oil settlement wey dey close to di community wia some military personnel dey stationed so dem occasionally dey come di community.

So dat Sunday morning wen di community pipo see di gunboats dey come, dem tink say na di normal gunboats from di military station wey dey come, dem no know say na for anoda reason dem come.

"Dem just open fire on di pipo wey bin dey stand for di jetty without any information to say dem dey look for pesin or not, or weda pesin don commit crime wey we come fish out.

Communities get institutions, traditional institutions wey dem suppose inform to say see wetin make we come, but notin like dat. So basically nobodi bin dey expect wetin happun. Wetin dem see na sudden sporadic shootings." Na so e tok.

Reports say at di moment although di action of di military dey under control, nobodi fit enta or comot from di community due to di military blockade and so goment need to send aid and food to di pipo.

Dr. Suobo add say dem also need access into di community so dem fit ascertain di number of casualties and also get medical help to those wey dey injured and give di pipo food and water.

‘We dey aware of di military operations for Igbomotoru’ - Bayelsa State Goment

Bayelsa State Goment for statement by di Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, condemn di killing of di military personnel for Okuama community, Delta State and say any pesin wey dey involved suppose face di laws.

E say though di State Goment dey aware of di military operation for Igbomotoru, di State Governor, Douye Diri dey call for support for di military and oda security agencies to bring di killers of di 17 sojas for Okuama community for Delta State to justice.

E come urge di pipo of Bayelsa State particularly residents of Igbomotoru community for Southern Ijaw LGA to remain calm as di goment dey ensure say law- abiding citizens dey protected and safe at all times.

Di govnor further direct di Security Co-ordinator of di Bayelsa Community Safety Corps to increase surveillance and patrol di state borders and waterways.

‘We go deploy professional operations to arrest those wey kill our officers’ - Nigerian Army

Although di Nigerian Army never tok about dia operations for Igbomotoru, di General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army/Land Component Commander, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, say dem get di mission to recover di weapons wey killers of 17 sojas bin run away with.

Major General Abdussalam tok say dem go deploy professional operations to arrest those wey kill dia officers for Okuama Community for Ughelli South LGA.

Im tok dis one wen di Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of di Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief (Dr) Samuel Ogbuku bin pay am a condolence visit on 21 March 2024.

Di commander add say di troops go dey di creeks (river side) until dem achieve dia mission and make di pipo of di communities assist di troops if dem know di location of criminals wey dey on di run.

“Di troops no go rest until dem track down all dose wey dey involved for di killings and dem account for dia deeds and di operations go dey in such a way wey be say nobodi go eva try attack men in uniform,” di commander tok.