Military shouldn’t convert Okuama community to barracks – Senator Dafinone

Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents the Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State at the National Assembly, speaks to DELE OGUNYEMI on the incident at Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state resulting in the killing of 17 soldiers

How did you feel about receiving reports about the killings of 17 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army on a peace mission to the Okuama community under your senatorial district?

 At first, I couldn’t even process my emotions because it’s inconceivable that such high-ranking military officers could be rounded up and massacred in one fell swoop by some rag-tag militants or hoodlums, if you may so call them. Like most Nigerians, my initial reaction was that of shock and bewilderment, which later morphed into total indignation. It was a truly ugly and unfortunate incident. Whether it was a rescue mission or a peace mission, no one would have imagined such a gory ending. I want to seize this opportunity to once again commiserate with the families of the fallen Army officers who lost their lives in the line of duty at Okuama community. Our heartfelt condolences also go to the families of those innocent indigenes of Okuama community who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident.

It has been widely claimed that there had been early warnings of the lingering land dispute between the Okuama community and the Okoloba community of the Bomadi Local Government Area of the state. What preventive measures did you take in your capacity as the senator representing the senatorial district to de-escalate the crisis?

Although we came into office barely eight months ago, I learned that the hostilities between the Okuama and Okoloba communities have persisted for some years now. I got my first official briefing on the crisis this month when a group of my constituents from that area wrote to inform me about the brewing hostilities between them and their neighbours from Okoloba. As their newly-elected senator, I was already planning to put a team together to visit the place on a fact-finding mission when suddenly we were greeted with the news of the killings of those soldiers.

The killings made me realise the enormity of the situation on the ground. I never envisaged that the matter was that bad. I was told that the Delta State Government had already intervened and indeed brokered a truce between the warring parties. I was told that the governor invited them to Asaba to sign a peace accord in January this year. So, you can imagine the shock when we got the news that matters had got to a head with the killings of very senior military officers.

After the killings of the soldiers and civilians as well as the razing of the Okuama community, what in your opinion is the way forward to get out of the attendant problem?

Certainly, the way out is not by razing down the concerned community and neighbouring ones along the coastline. We appeal to the military to cool down tempers. As I have noted in my motion on the floor of the Senate, the first thing is for the Federal Government to set up a high-powered investigation panel to ascertain both the immediate and remote causes of the fracas to bring the agents provocateur to justice. Thereafter, the Federal Government, in conjunction with the state government, should commence a remediation plan to rehabilitate not only the Okuama community but all the neighbouring communities razed down by the military in the aftermath of the killings.

What lessons do you think stakeholders, notably the local communities, the military, and the government have learned from the Okuama incident?

There are a whole lot of lessons that I think our people have learned from this very reprehensible outcome from Okuama. First is that violence can never be a solution to any problem, more so communal. Violence will probably only escalate a problem instead of solving it. Peace is non-negotiable. Two, it is one of the accounts of the incident that the shooting spree was as a result of mistaken identity. In other words, the Okuama boys mistook the military officers for Ijaw militants because the militants most times also wear military uniforms. It is now obvious that some of these militants do adorn military fatigue to carry out their activities so it is a challenge to differentiate real military officers from impersonators. We must find a way to end this ugly practice.

There is also the issue of community warlords who leverage their political influences to foment trouble now and then. Some of them, because they have deep pockets, can afford to procure the services of some of these security personnel to do their bidding in the oppression of perceived opponents.

It is being rumoured that the military is making moves to convert Okuama to a military barracks, what is your reaction to this?

I don’t think that will be a good decision. Don’t forget that that community has been the ancestral home of a people for hundreds of years now. When you convert a people’s ancestral land to a military barracks overnight, you have in one fell swoop eclipsed the ancestry of those people; it is tantamount to ethnic cleansing. The military authority should rethink if truly they have muted the idea.

What is your message to the aggrieved military?

My message to them is first that we sympathise and truly commiserate with them and the families of the slain officers. They remain our heroes. We plead with them to temper justice with mercy, and not allow emotions to take the better part of their judgment for now. I am aware that the Presidency and the Senate have put in place recompense measures to bring some succour to the bereaved families.

What is your message to the embattled people of Okuama community?

They should always imbibe the culture of dialogue and peaceful resolution when faced with this kind of challenge in the future. They should always caution and call out their troublesome children as early as possible before they get out of control.

What is your recommendation to the Delta State Government and the Federal Government on the incident?

One thing that astounds me is the quantum and proliferation of light and heavy weapons in the hands of youths and non-state actors all over the country like we are in some kind of civil war situation. The government must find a way to mop up illegal weapons from the streets and the backwaters of our communities. Secondly, the government shouldn’t allow matters to get to a head before taking proactive steps to settle communal disputes. Early warning signs must be taken seriously and dealt with.

What are your last words on the incident?

I think our military is overstretched. Over time, our soldiers have gone beyond their primary function of defending the territorial integrity of the nation, and have now taken most functions ordinarily reserved for the police. Owing to the severe internal security situation in the country, soldiers now double somewhat as policemen. There is something fundamentally wrong with a system that allows the military to guard private persons and residences. This is what has led to a whole commander of a battalion going into the trenches to settle a communal squabble, a role ordinarily left for the police, or worst case scenario, the rank and file of the Army.

This speaks to two things: the government must seriously equip our police with modern and more sophisticated weapons to match or outrun the firepower of non-state actors, and the government should take measures to restore the dignity of our soldiers and deploy them for only very serious situations like combating insurgency and terrorism.