The militant leader allegedly behind last Thursday’s killing of 16 soldiers at Okuama Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, has been tracked by the Nigerian army to the riverine Igbomoturu community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. 

 

Vanguard reported that soldiers killed some youths who resisted their incursion, and razed some houses belonging to militants.

 

Soldiers reportedly arrived in the community in seven gunboats and a passport boat at about 8.00 am on Sunday, March 17, and cordoned off the community, forcing villagers to scamper for safety into the bush. They also swooped on the Akugbene community in Bomadi Local Government Area, to arrest perpetrators alleged to have fled to the community.

 

They brought the Akugbene community chairman and many others to Bomadi, headquarters of the council area over allegations that they harbored the fleeing chairman of Okuama community and other suspects.

 

It was further learnt that the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, visited the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian military at Bomadi on Monday, March 18.

 

Oborevwori’s visit brought a heavy security presence in the riverside town. From the early hours of the day, combined security forces were stationed armored vehicles at strategic locations, while a helicopter hovered around. The governor headed straight to the military base at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC Road, in Bomadi where he held a closed-door meeting that lasted over an hour with the army authority.

 

Findings revealed that the governor’s visit was in connection with last week’s killing of soldiers and the consequent razing of the Okuama community.