HURIWA Condemns Killing Of 16 Officers In Delta

The Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the killing of 16 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army by armed men in the Bomadi Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.

The civil rights group in a statement on Saturday, signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, described the incident as “insensitive, reprehensible” and “an act of terrorism.”

THE WHISTLER reported how the troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion while responding to a distress call concerning a communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba, were attacked by yet-to-be-identified persons.

The officers, en route to the area on a peace mission, were killed, and this led to the death of the Commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 Soldiers.

The statement read partly: “We, in HURIWA, condemn in no uncertain terms, the dastardly criminal act and indeed one of the most gruesome acts of terrorism, the brutal slaughtering of so many Army officers by some armed hoodlums in a part of Delta State.

“This is so tragic and despicable, to put it mildly, and it is hoped that all those involved in this terror attack are arrested and decisively dealt with.”

While sympathising with the Chief of Defence Staff, the group opined that the “aim of the killers of those soldiers was to expand the frontiers of the conflicts.”

The group also noted that the assailants intended to draw in the armed forces to become a party in the infighting amongst the gangsters.

HURIWA, thus, urged the soldiers not to stage a reprisal attack on the community, alluding to a premise that “those who killed the soldiers may even be loose cannons or hired goons who have no connection with the community and the people.”