Jamai Abdussalam, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, has confirmed that his men stormed the Okuama Community on a routine operation.
This was as he advised Okuama people to be ready to witness surprise and continuous raids until the arms carted away during the bloody killing of 17 military officers in the community were fully recovered.
The army chief stated this on Tuesday while responding to questions from newsmen at Effurun during the commissioning of 3 Battalion soldiers’ transit accommodation constructed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
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He recalled the sad event of March 14 this year, where the Nigerian troops were brutally murdered in Okuama.
“We will not rest, we will continue to conduct operation until our equipment and our arms that were carted away have been recovered.
“I don’t understand what you mean by soldiers invaded the place. This is Nigeria, if there are soldiers there; they are not coming from another country.
“If the Nigerian Army goes to a place and conducts an operation, why do you say invade? We are not going to another country. It is Nigeria. If we are conducting operations anywhere, we are conducting normal military operations. So, it was normal military operations”, the army general explained.
On whether it was his men or criminal elements in military uniforms that attacked Okuama on Monday, he fumed, “This is the same allegation that was used to kill our troops – that civilians were using our uniforms.
“We know that there are criminals that use military uniforms from time to time, but they don’t move in gunboats. Gunboats with guns mounted on them and with the inscription of Army on them”.
He also could not confirm whether there were casualties during Monday’s attack on Okuama.
Unconfirmed reports said no fewer than three persons were shot dead and over six villagers were either arrested or missing during the operation.
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Monday’s evasion of the community came days after the army arrested two persons who were among those declared wanted by the military following the killing of the 17 soldiers in Okuama.
Clement Ikolo, Okuama monarch who had been arrested and later released, appealed to his people to remain calm as an amicable solution was in the offing towards a peaceful resolution of the situation.
