FLASHBACK: Four times Nigerian Army kill innocent civilians during revenge mission since 1990

After the brutal killings of personnel of the Nigerian Army on a peace mission to two warring communities in Delta State in the South-South, President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, gave the military “full authority” to bring killers of the soldiers to justice. 

Okuama and Okoloba communities have been in dispute over the ownership of a controversial land lying on their border since January, and the crisis between them has led to the killing of many people, including children. 

When another fight broke out on Thursday, March 14, the Nigerian Army deployed soldiers for a peacekeeping mission to the communities. The soldiers were, however, gruesomely murdered, leading to public outrage.

Meanwhile, communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi local government areas have been taken over by troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, who also oversee the 63 brigade in Asaba. While there have been videos of houses being razed on Sunday morning, it is not clear yet if it was soldiers on a revenge mission who razed houses, but many residents have abandoned their homes. 

In his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, Tinubu said the cowardly offenders responsible for the heinous crime will not go unpunished.

READ ALSO: OBITUARY: These are the faces of soldiers killed in Delta community

“…we must constantly remember and honour all those who have paid the ultimate price to keep our nation safe, strong, and united. The officers and men who died in Okuama community have joined the pantheon of great men and women who gave their all, with honour, in the service of our fatherland.

“Members of our armed forces are at the heart and core of our nationhood. Any attack on them is a direct attack on our nation. We will not accept this wicked act. The Defence Headquarters and Chief of Defence Staff have been granted full authority to bring to justice anybody found to have been responsible for this unconscionable crime against the Nigerian people,” the president said. 

Also, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Nigerian Army, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, in a statement signed on behalf of the Senate, said it is crucial that justice is served and those behind the criminal act are brought to account for their actions. 

As soldiers took over Okoloba and Okuama communities in search of the culprits, many Nigerians on social media have expressed concern over possible retaliation following a series of such events in the past. 

For instance, soldiers on a peacekeeping assignment became murderous in the Cross River community after they were attacked during their operations in 2022. The incident left many killed and injured. 

In 2021, the Nigerian Army killed over 50 villagers in Benue after 11 soldiers and a commander were slaughtered by local militants in Bonta, a town in the Konshisha area of Benue State. 

READ ALSO: Reprisal Attack: Residents killed as angry soldiers from Delta burn down houses in Bayelsa

Also, there was “Operation No Living Thing” in 2001, when the military carried out a mass execution of hundreds of unarmed Tiv civilians following the killing of 19 soldiers. 

Two years earlier, there was the Odi massacre in 1999 where the military killed 900 individuals over the murder of 12 Nigerian police officers in Odi. 

Already, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd), whose leadership carried out a bloody attack on members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in 2015, has described the Delta incident as “monstrous and barbaric.”

“The culprits must be severely dealt with to serve as a deterrent to all. Soldiers should be respected and honoured at all times for the obvious sacrifices they make to keep the country safe.”

While Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, condemned the killing of the military personnel in Delta, he faulted the alleged burning of the village by the military in what can be described as a reprisal.

Falana urged the government to caution soldiers early enough not to embark on any act of retaliation and assure them assurances that justice would be served immediately.