Okuama: Army lacks powers to deny Oborevwori, journalists access — Delta stakeholders, Falana

WARRI — Stakeholders in Delta State and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, said yesterday the Nigerian Army lacks powers to deprive Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and journalists access to Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where gunmen killed 17 military personnel and an unspecified number of residents on

The Army went to Okuama on March 14. reportedly on a “peace mission”, but the spot-on circumstances in which gunmen, alleged to be oil bunkers and militants, killed a Lieutenant Colonel, two Majors, one Captain, and 13 other military personnel, and an unconfirmed number of villagers remain imprecise to date.

“Allowing the military panel access to Okuama, while denying the governor access, confirms our earlier assertions that there was something sinister in the entire matter. “So, why did the governor or any other government official not visit the two warring communities before the March 14 event? “The reasons given by the CDS are nothing but a cock-and-bull story. It is all about collective punishment, and as you know, in international law, it is a war crime. The vulnerable children, women, and elderly are dying daily of hunger.

“The military in our democracy, is to protect our internal sovereignty against external aggression, period. The Army must subject itself to constitutional order, allowing all Nigerians, including our serving governor, their unmitigated right of freedom of movement in Nigeria. “Allowing the Board of Inquiry access to the community, while disallowing the governor and journalists from entering same is discriminatory under Section 42 of the said Constitution, and thus unconstitutional.

“To me and many other persons thinking aloud, what happened in Okuama, which led to the death of 17 military personnel, was beyond peace-making. “Similarly, let me call on the international community and organizations to step into the matter before it gets out of hand.’’Similarly, rights activist, Charles Akpovrene, said: “To put an end to this rubbish, the people of Okuama should drag the Army to court to allow them access to the community. The Army is acting in breach of the law.

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