Okuama Killings: Nigerian Army Releases Delta Monarch

• Clement Ikolo, a monarch from Okuama community in Delta state, has been released from the custody of the Nigeria Army
• Ikolo was released in Abuja to Senator Ede Dafinone, the lawmaker representing Delta Central, on Friday, April 19
• However, the NA, through its spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, noted that Ikolo's release does not exonerate him from his alleged involvement in the Okuama killings

Abuja - The Nigerian Army has released Clement Ikolo, a traditional ruler in Delta who was arrested over the murder of 17 officers in Okuama community.

Ikolo was released on Friday during a briefing by Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, director of Nigerian Army public relations, in Abuja.

The monarch was released to Ede Dafinone, the senator representing Delta Central, who stood as his surety, Punch reports.

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However, the NA's spokesman noted that Ikolo’s release did not amount to exoneration but was only facilitated after Senator Dafinone testified to his character.

Vanguard reports that Senator Thomas Joel Onowakpo, on Wednesday, April 17, appealed for the release of the detained traditional ruler when he met with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, in Abuja.

Troops invade another Delta community, arrest chairman

Recall that troops of the Nigerian Army conducting a cordon-and-search operation stormed another Delta community, Olota, on Thursday, April 11.

It was gathered that the soldiers during their operation arrested not less than 10 suspected persons apart from the community’s chairman, Matthew Olokpa.

According to an eyewitness, the soldiers took with them almost all the speedboats in the jetty.

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Why 16 officers were killed in Delta community

A young man has released a video explaining what allegedly led to the killing of 16 soldiers in Okuama in Delta state.

The unidentified man said two warring communities, Okuama and Okoloba, had been embroiled in a land dispute which degenerated into a crisis. He, however, blamed the government and leaders for not calling both communities for a genuine peaceful resolution.

According to him, the slain Nigerian security operatives who came to Okuama were loyalists of Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo.

Source: Legit.ng