The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide has condemned the recent killing of military personnel in Delta State, urging the authorities to go after the culprits.
Seventeen military personnel were murdered in Okuama, a community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State last week.
While reacting to the incident, the IYC spokesman, Binebai Princewill in a Tuesday statement called on the military to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.
The group said the “evil” must not be swept under the carpet as bringing the culprits to book will serve as a deterrent to others, calling on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State to quickly resolve whatever differences the people of Okuama and Okoloba are having before it degenerates.
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“The council is reiterating that while we will not cover up any evil, we are calling on the military to work strictly with intelligence and not to bring down entire community under the guise of looking for criminals. The innocent must not pay for crimes they did not commit,” the statement read.
“It is very unfortunate that people will dare to have the impetus and temerity to invade and attack soldiers on a peace mission to resolve the lingering communal battle between the people of Okuama in Ughelli South and their brothers from Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. To us, this is not only barbaric but also unacceptable.
“The IYC Worldwide is well aware of the indispensable role played by the Military and other security agencies in the country, that the country is peaceful today is all thanks to them who have been fighting to ensure our peaceful coexistence as a nation.
“As Council, we are calling on the military top hierarchy to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter with a view of bringing the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. This is an evil that must not be swept under the carpet as bringing the culprits to book will serve as a deterrent to others.
“However, we are using this medium to call on His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State to quickly resolve whatever differences the people of Okuama and Okoloba are having now before it degenerate to something else.”
