Unknown gunmen in riverside Ijaw and Urhobo communities of Delta State perpetrated a tragic event resulting in the deaths of no less than 16 military personnel from the Nigerian Army. Among the casualties were the commanding officer of the 181 Battalion, along with two Army Majors and 13 soldiers,leadership reports.
By 6 pm on Saturday, the Army had recovered 14 bodies of the fallen soldiers. These remains were transported to the jetty of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Bomadi, Delta State, awaiting further directives from higher authorities. The gruesome nature of the killings, with many victims beheaded and dismembered, added to the already heightened tension in the communities, as images of the mutilated bodies circulated on social media.
The soldiers had been deployed to quell a crisis between the Urhobo community of Opuama and the Ijaw community of Okoloba, located in Ughelli South and Bomadi local government areas. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by fighters from both communities.
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In addition to the military casualties, an unspecified number of civilians from the communities also lost their lives in the subsequent clashes. As a result, the affected areas have been deserted, with further reinforcement of troops ordered by Major-General Jamal Abdussalam, the General Officer Commanding the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army, who has also relocated to the conflict zones.
While the exact cause of the crisis remains unclear, initial reports suggest that the soldiers initially deployed to the areas were killed by enraged local fighters, prompting the dispatch of additional troops. Tragically, the reinforcement led by the commanding officer of the 181 Battalion met a similar fate, escalating the violence and resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the incident and ordered the immediate arrest and investigation of those responsible. Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the acting director of Defence Information, stated that the troops were attacked while responding to a distress call amid the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State.
