In response to the deaths of 17 troops in the Okuama community, Commodore Kunle Olawunmi [RTD], a former commander of the Defence Intelligence College, voiced worry that politicians in Delta state were repeating acts that were similar to those done in 2006 and 2007. He cautioned that these moves might lead to military miscalculations and escalate tensions in the area to the point where the federal government would have to fight on several fronts, which would be against their interests.
He urged swift intervention to rein in these politicians, cautioning that if necessary, he would publicly identify them. He accused these politicians of attempting to foment unrest and undermine the peace efforts initiated by Yar’Adua’s administration in the area through the implementation of amnesty programs.
He said in an interview with Arise TV, ”The politicians in Delta are about to start what they did in 2006 and 2007. And this is to provoke the military to make mistakes and once they make mistakes, they are going to inflame that zone to the point that the Federal government may have to fight on two fronts.
And that’s not good for them. They shouldn’t look at what happened recently, they should quickly call those politicians to order now. If I come next time, I may start mentioning their names but they are listening to me. They are trying to cause another problem and destroy all the efforts of Yar’data in bringing amnesty to that area.”
There has been ongoing military operation in Okuama and Okoloba communities after the killing of the 181 Amphibious Troops of the Nigerian Army. The Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa has identified that the military has been able to get the perpetrator behind the killings. He however noted that an investigation is still ongoing to unfold what happened that fateful day.
