In a significant development, General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, announced that the Nigerian Army has identified the individual responsible for the recent attack and killing of troops from the 181 Battalion in Okuama community, Delta State.
General Musa made this revelation during an address in Abuja, indicating that the Army is actively pursuing the suspected perpetrator and is confident of his eventual apprehension.
He disclosed that the commanding officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel AH Ali, had been targeted due to his efforts to curb illegal oil bunkering activities in the area.
“We know who did this, we are following up with him, and it’s just a matter of time, we are sure we are going to get him,” General Musa affirmed.
Elaborating on the circumstances surrounding the attack, General Musa explained that Lieutenant Colonel Ali had taken a firm stance against illicit activities in the region, leading to friction with those benefiting from such operations.
“The CO insisted that all illegal activities within the general area must stop… And so, when this issue came, it came as an opportunity for them to also go and do away with him, and that’s exactly what happened,” General Musa stated.
Regarding the tragic event, General Musa described it as a clash within the community exacerbated by the presence of pirates and militants operating in the area due to illegal activities.
“These are people they know, and that’s why when he heard it, he felt that these are my community, these are the people I know, and he went to say, oh, this thing that you’re doing is not right,” General Musa recounted.
Tragically, the situation escalated, resulting in the brutal killing and dismemberment of the troops who had sought to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.
“And I don’t know what kind of, for a human being to go to that extent to go for people that came on peaceful means, then that’s something that must be looked at,” General Musa concluded.