DHQ declares 8 suspected killers 17 soldiers in Delta wanted, gives details

• The defence headquarters in Nigeria has declared eight persons as wanted about the killings of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community of Delta state
• The military published the names and photos of the suspects on its social media page on Thursday morning
• This came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu honoured the murdered soldiers' children with federal government scholarships to the university level, among others

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FCT, Abuja - The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted in connection with the killings of officers and soldiers in the Okuama community in the Ughelli South local government area of Delta state.

The military authority made the announcement in a tweet on Thursday morning, March 28, stating that they were prime suspects in the killing of the Nigerian soldiers.

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Delta killings: List of wanted suspects

According to the tweet, the wanted persons are Akeywru Daniel Omotegbono, Prof Akpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Igoli Ebi, Akata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

The release of the names of the suspects came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu announced scholarships and other awards to the children and other family members of the slain soldiers.

The military personnel were said to be on a peace million in the Okuama community before they were attacked by some suspected militants and murdered brutally.

How army discovers bodies of slain soldiers

In the early hours of Saturday, March 16, fourteen lifeless bodies of some murdered soldiers were recovered by military operatives on patrol at the Okuama community.

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Some of the corpses whose faces were covered were reported to have been dismembered. Some of their heads were not there, while others had their stomach and heard ripped off.

Also found dead were a commanding officer and two majors. Their bodies were reportedly found floating on the riverbanks in the community.

See the tweet here:

The killing of 17 Soldiers: Lawyer speaks

Meanwhile, in an interview with Legit.ng, Barrister Titilope Anifowoshe said that it as the duty of the police to investigate the attack, arrest and prosecute the incident.

She said:

"It's the responsibility of the Nigerian Police to apprehend criminals, who should then be investigated and charged according to due process. We must ensure that all investigations are conducted in accordance with the 1999 Constitution."

Delta Killins: Tinubu urged to withdraw military

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has been told to resist the temptation of allowing the military to continue to investigate the killings of soldiers in the Okuama community of Delta state.

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Instead, the president was urged to allow the office of the national security adviser and the DSS to take full charge of the investigation.

Barrister Oladotun Hassan, a public affairs analyst, gave the charge while condemning the killing of 17 soldiers in the Niger Delta region.

Source: Legit.ng