Dominic Adewole, 
The killing of 17 officers and soldiers at the Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State in March, has assumed a dangerous twist as soldiers yesterday invaded the community in gunboats, killing three persons, while some parents abandoned their children to escape being killed.
This came barely a month after some notable indigenes of the community were reportedly raided by unknown soldiers. Also, this is coming a week after two persons, among the arrested leaders of the community, challenged their detention by the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Service (DSS) inn court, demanding N200 million damages.
Although, hundreds of indigenes of the community are still at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp that was set up by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the invaders allegedly stormed the town, where the 17 soldiers were killed in the early hours of yesterday in several gunboats shooting at anything in sight.
An indigene (names withheld), who said he narrowly escaped with bullet wounds, cried that everyone is in disarray. He lamented the displacement of his children and wondered why peace would no longer prevail in the community, and appealed to the government at all levels for help.
He claimed that the troop penetrated through Okoloba community that had been in rivalry with Okuama community over land dispute, after surveying the locality with drones on Sunday. The escapee said the in- vaders parked their boats at Okoloba community, besieged Okuama on foot, accompanied by some unknown youths.
He said, “The small tents we have built after we were chased away for allegedly killing 17 soldiers were all burnt. As we speak, three of our people have been shot dead.
“Parents don’t know their children again, children can’t recognize their parents. We have not recovered from the arrest of our leaders some weeks ago and now, they have staged a comeback. Who will take away this root of bitterness?” He wondered why soldiers colluded with Okoloba youths that have remained at loggerheads with Okuama indigenes to commit mayhem.
