{"id":19279,"date":"2024-07-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=19279"},"modified":"2024-07-06T10:17:40","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T09:17:40","slug":"okuama-murder-community-lies-in-ruins-despite-nigerian-armys-no-retaliation-promise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/okuama-murder-community-lies-in-ruins-despite-nigerian-armys-no-retaliation-promise\/","title":{"rendered":"Okuama Murder: Community lies in ruins despite Nigerian Army\u2019s \u201cno retaliation\u201d promise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The phrase \u201cPeace Mission\u201d was plastered across tabloids and amplified on social media, but it was a cruel contradiction for the Okuama community in Delta State\u2019s Ughelli South Local Government. The reality was a decimated community, concealed corpses, and a deserted town with graveyard silence on March 14, 2024. <\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><em>\u2019s investigation fact-checked the military\u2019s \u201cno retaliation\u201d promise amidst a deluge of information disorders that complicated the crisis.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okrika Emmanuel spread his arms like a father about to embrace a lost son while describing his once expansive family residence. But when DUBAWA&#8217;s gaze followed his direction, all that was left was the rubble of a building that once existed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind his tinted glasses were eyes that had seen his wife\u2019s death in 2023 and now the worst days of his life\u2014living as a refugee in his homeland. Before retiring from civil service in February 2023, he had built a home and a hotel for his post-retirement needs. His wife had three compounds, but after the siege, only ruins remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXebUJpMfy1KAxPQp8OlgzWrXx1J07e2udWmfG617_U-yqfZG1wMVCpcoxiVsjcZI9WlsJZrB8o4wag0WSHTR5kPZMcDhr-a3FLcPUpfU4os66fOgQJNPLJRpEhfvCOdaPin9sKsC142n66yGvqZ1tdpjiUfVexBxOd9XYrDZ1W7C_JlvPeTI-A?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Mr Emmanuel is standing in front of his ruined properties. Credit: Sunday Awosoro\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy 35 years of suffering have just been destroyed. It\u2019s terrible for me. Even the state government hasn\u2019t paid my pension. To eat is now a problem. My only hope was the hotel, which has now been demolished,\u201d he told <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mr Emmanuel and other community members had recently returned from exile after an eight-week siege by the Nigerian Army following the gruesome murder of 17 military personnel on March 14, 2024. The most viral claim was that soldiers had an altercation with youths who then carried out the horrific act, as shown <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osundefender.com\/delta-youths-kill-army-commander-2-majors-13-other-soldiers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.herald.ng\/residents-flee-as-military-recovers-15-soldiers-bodies-in-delta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gruesome pictures and videos of dead soldiers on the Forcados River shores circulated widely, drawing global attention. Using <a href=\"http:\/\/search.mediacloud.org\/search?q=Okuama%252COkoloba&amp;nq=&amp;start=03-13-2024&amp;end=03-22-2024&amp;p=onlinenews-mediacloud&amp;ss=&amp;cs=38376341&amp;any=any&amp;name=Okuama%20OR%20Okoloba&amp;edit=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Media Cloud<\/strong><\/a>, <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong> discovered that the incident peaked on March 16, with 8.40% of media content nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18320697\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Media coverage of the Okuama incidents in graphics on Media Cloud. Credit: Phillip Anjorin\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately for Emmanuel, he was in Warri during the military invasion, unlike Mary Macaulay, an 80-year-old woman who endured the eight-week ordeal in the debris of her own home, anticipating death as the hope of rescue dimmed with every passing day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeF_Dxuc4OmKbO66UwHKlGYsC2wgmexghspI7aN9oAAfdj6FbU2N0uHbUNTS0kNcsc6U6eJH7HHC6KxPgAqHqm8UjlJBoLPw0fLwQptX1T8B80vX7aZG_G05c1QA5sP_CzK8dRbfTXNIQ-RZ8diGXHhkjinQYbVpxYhK6ozlGoQNpnLy4WLDPk?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Mary Macaulay after getting rescued. Source: Ewu Clan Development Forum<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kewe Amanese, the medical doctor attending Mary at the Hospital Management Board Government Hospital in Ewu-Urhobo, Ughelli South LGA, said she <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1z769eR_jsPxE3_pKVeL_KugXqhmv0x8H\/view?usp=drive_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">miraculously survived<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen she came in, I saw an elderly woman who was chronically ill-looking with peri-orbital sunkenness, bilateral leg swellings, and bony prominence all over. So I made a diagnosis of protein energy malnutrition with severe anaemia,\u201d Amanese said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mary\u2019s survival was attributed to her strong will. She suffered without adequate food or water, sustaining over 15 deep wounds and taking four pints of blood to recover from an 8 per cent PCV. \u201cShe&#8217;s seriously malnourished, and it will take her a couple of months to regain her initial state,\u201d Amanese added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdv-yPQ3FkJBMsI9kHST3lpAXr73DHSamfSCWkjUfr3hn6YczEtSpfyJl_ZmFIle23mkhLwLax5gr8MPje8Sys_XCO5u8LnpXsH2-Ta-IbHtgbmvDPbJ9xqsG5GIBCLm-dzXgO7ZvWEyOeLhtqK__5NbYv8gLM7lx8m2a_nT8nnOG1cumr6xY8?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mary, as of May 31, 2024. Credit: Ewu Clan Development Forum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How social media-driven information disorder complicated the crisis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rumours of impending doom had spread fear among residents after different accounts claimed that the army was on a peace mission to settle the communal dispute between Okuama and Okoloba. Brig. Gen Tukur Gusau, Defence Information\u2019s acting director, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HQNigerianArmy\/status\/1769049259549048892\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>mentioned<\/strong><\/a> Delta youths as the culprits but did not specify Okuama. However, social media already anticipated the military\u2019s reaction, with some users calling for the community\u2019s demolition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdk07VT3m5uswJZwUKQPzpPtbCC-EC3tTj6xKsrpXCZDUzOp17Bqf5FN5a96yAhYmKM6hJTT6oKZWPRqQyLHDUyexEEnk31aW4wyj9J7fhVnPOdYXW1U0AwQ7XqSHfKHjcmDg-ZHIFN8xZTBSHyDc5v3QDYIQP_iCLrVoiXcjmrFueLJ836FU0?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Sulaiman Adebayo (@PoojaMedia) deleted tweet calling for community demolition. Credit: @IamTheIroko\/<\/em><strong><em>X<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few days after the military pulled out, <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong> visited Okuama to investigate how information disorder contributed to the conflict. <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong> found that among other claims this report fact-checked, the military\u2019s actions contradicted their claims of non-retaliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Journey to the Badlands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before <strong>DUBAWA\u2019<\/strong>s arrival on May 18, 2024, our fixer facilitated a meeting with the Ewu Clan Development Forum, the umbrella body of all 17 communities in the Ewu Kingdom, including Okuama. Edewor Egedegbe, the forum\u2019s secretary general, revealed that the conflict began on January 27, 2024, when three Okuama indigenes were murdered over a land dispute with Patrick Akpobolokemi, an influential figure from Okoloba recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/news\/top-news\/688269-alleged-n8-5-billion-fraud-court-frees-ex-nimasa-dg-akpobolokemi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discharged and acquitted<\/a> of N8.5 billion fraud case \u2013during his tenure as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)\u2019s former director-general\u2013 with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfMX-MsTmmuBJVU9WzkS1tN8xCZrpKkMUthLs-B-Q94vAndIEoOnIfvH-2CJjgJySIPK4Q8EgXwjZO6A3CtiGc0mET_mpLyRevPqcpJLT_oP27s1fZOAykDG0qXjGps8rlVHcZKiZQYDHGuLb3ySu8JxgwMpzHEEfGgcUBLe9Khwz62QqQZ2g?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Mr Edewor (in white). Credit: Sunday Awosoro\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Feb. 2, 2024, the community wrote to the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the police commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda, to address the situation but received no response. Only to see military officers arrive on a \u201cpeace mission\u201d and request that the community leaders follow them to the Army base in Bomadi on March 14, 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community refused to follow them without their local leaders\u2019 presence. Amidst a heated exchange, the military departed and was attacked by strange boats on the Forcados River, according to multiple witnesses and the Ewu Clan Development Forum. The forum identified 101 Okuama residents who died: 86 in the attack and 15 in the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the interview at Ughelli, we journeyed further to the ancestral land of Okuama, where we met Mr Emmanuel and Revd. Abraham Agbere, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in the community since he arrived in Jan. 2021. The church still stood, but his vicarage was gone. Agbere told <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong> that he fled on March 15 after seeing calls for the community\u2019s demolition on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, Agbere counts his losses: \u201cI feel so bad. For instance, I had 15 bags of Garri and ten oil jerry cans. They were looted. I left money and church uniforms. Nothing was left,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The church became the community\u2019s haven after the soldiers\u2019 withdrawal. \u201cThere was nowhere to stay; they had to be here [the church]. Some of them organised the food they\u2019re now eating,\u201d Agbere said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esiteru Votte, a 57-year-old mother of five, recounted the mayhem in pidgin, \u201cThey wanted to arrest our chairman, and we women present firmly held on to him. The army started shooting, and we all ran helter-skelter. Many died in the bush, and we haven\u2019t seen some of the others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdmaFgPIGIArfk1MdcHoBLVTVJH_2-cTJHGdxpen74TVczjVb1U202_rywTXqeYHqVl2naYKWELUrfAZiUL9Q4CmQYOBfG8agQsL4PMv-FIsIdBqLHYxRaX-heAMWtlVw_3_gsCVeNE4Z7R0_NnyPUGxZzl-7PvaQa8oxRld_6OaeRmI1psj6Y?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Esiteru Votte, 57, sorrowfully recounting her experience. Credit: Sunday Awosoro\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe only eat fruits with fish and sleep in groups inside the bush. I gave birth to five children, and only two are with me. I\u2019m yet to see the rest,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Crisis disinformation spreads on social media<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the incident, various claims have gone viral on social media, causing tensions online and offline. One claim by Emeka Gift Official (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EmekaGift100\/status\/1769635926517371064\"><strong>@EmekaGift100<\/strong><\/a>) showed boats in flames, attributing it to the Nigerian Army\u2019s retaliatory actions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfPlGXZncAFAYYrqmXLAjJIqwvJb3kFjMPp4uw6SopvLwtPCIp_KD4eTjU4uHBZgMuOp9LVmJuIxFNnZKXNo2MOItzO7B4eBHD6uw-hWSUbxGrq9s57wHbbLi9zWRC6wAFC9BqTqL9mfKIEEqjn6nTJfa2JIcKyVA0iM3Ie-yCummDdRAMruOo?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A keyframe of the viral video. Source: @emekagift100\/ <\/em><strong><em>X<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The account also claimed that children and women were burnt alive by the Nigerian Army, who he said had declared war on the region. This prompted questions about military inaction against similar treatment from northern insurrection and harsh treatment against the people from the Eastern part of Nigeria. However, we analysed the video using InVid WeVerify and found that the incident was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q2DfUN_xyII\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fire outbreak<\/a> in Nembe, Rivers State, from January 2024 \u2013 unrelated to the military\u2019s visit to Okuama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another narrative suggested soldiers got into a brawl with youths after shooting two community members, leading to the siege. According to the claim, the encounter happened when the soldiers got into town, requesting to see the community shrine and chief priest. This was also false; our investigation showed that 17 soldiers died, not 12. The claim had no basis in credible reports, though many Facebook accounts shared it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXc-4nv4n0yj6mlqTA4ue36dufvVOApMxJDRy_fbSYW3kkCv0NeVuTWN47rUEDUjH38PxYWhmwiwcXihKwzhtoRTwoUNKsznpoAevo7qOSvbMFE-uVhUi7lgdMvQNiqwqwTQCZFqmooiS0V2npqxWN4N3G1XhD2V-OfUk300CfGrQVQviwNPyGM?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Infographic visualisation of Facebook pages sharing the shrine narrative on Datawrapper. Credit: Phillip Anjorin\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The ruins in pictures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chude__\/status\/1769120206180245838\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">viral video<\/a> showing burning buildings was compared with on-field evidence. The community was in ruins, with buildings demolished, including the only primary school there. The Catholic church, the only building left untouched during the siege because it housed the soldiers, became the shelter for about 70 returnees.<em> <\/em>DUBAWA retrieved old footage showing the community&#8217;s appearance before the demolition to put things into perspective. The videos were shot in 2012 when the community experienced a heavy flood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-photo-slider\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18313287\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n\nBefore and after Aderha Primary School in Okuama. Slider design by Phillip Anjorin\/DUBAWA\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-photo-slider\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18313805\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n\nSome residential apartments and their remains. Photo slides by Phillip Anjorin\/DUBAWA\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-photo-slider\" data-src=\"visualisation\/18313685\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Destroyed solar streetlights in Okuama. Photo slider by Phillip Anjorin\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXd11F6Ap0JljdNiVH_VsHjhjuskFDnxZ2FImWfflbWegP0VDCsiqiRqzhhCYcwIUgk_XSPt213egJfG4WgVj56GdHzG7GqD4kAbwV4ud9iKydh-aGLcxIGGzt6SCsqaORbthFJClWivfzaxN_ebQBwmdCLTccln3B0iNHupE7DwsVjnQAvgdvk?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Some demolished buildings were found near St. Peter\u2019s Church (L). Source: Sunday Awosoro\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfGnLX3Yp_MrP0bQ3xwUNYNLsgHnp0HGaZalGFk2jE_a50ocH9y3GIomK0SvU4D30aQiq379PwCmktrJJ9g24ASyUD7sFmfDomJzQo7RFYehoPuKbvzyOGMDBs_mI6JAzaAeDEGCOz9ylb791ZWemTG6AL8RCk7NPqFFTNDVoj86-y0ay64c8M?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeCja93QpDDoiUBxD3o8vDiEbVM1gH44L1kBOpUj6LqESNREJxNwXZSk2kyXc1Icp8ecxl2jtevxpOdEU_WFbkXHxn9EIzAVAWlO8DkamlUmIR0v2e7CL2J3gvt3zRq2zuxiQ8trbApUXrdwzoxhryZhYwErP8tGF4BFchA900uK8RR8V_dldI?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The burning houses, the boathouse, and the concrete boundary were labelled 1,2,&amp; 3, respectively. Credit: Sunday Awosoro\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdgaPIXhu26furtrp0ptS-slHE_XUXQ0EtHtJevFMV1M1bKDCSknG4vI8DM42UaSlYPEdn6WOmiOHUrezAFqT_cM9SvHKYYp4qQYSJ73av33pr4c0E53Z4rKbXPSXCEKvs8bcUX6-FXyDzfFzux6RcIM1vS-zkhZykCo9380RK6VeUyygFVTe8?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Ruins of the Baptist Church in Okuama. Credit: Sunday Awsoro\/ <\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdZICtfB3nVDOpuhq5gd0upemcxTgO_eLNrz3Oh8a4uwea7RZdFR2Rf-abPcAzBE1EUj9fxhPMxyOHdc2G_cC1kL-LzDSp8s-bOVYOE-22C7-B2QfRfkxE044WghpItWczqJaLTl7R_kvnr2aTxVbNi8TXyfS2mnP2FgBXFln0NDLjozVErtQ?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Okuama Community Hall in ruins. Credit: Sunday Awosoro\/<\/em><strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Editor\u2019s warning: <\/em><\/strong>To avoid displaying graphic content, list, pictures and videos of the dead can be <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1w1y6tW-z-87U0plbTSpgYtY0tjvdCGoI?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>accessed here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cCommunity were Accomplice\u201d- Defence HQ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXd7qmqA1UcJ3S2rPWe1bnJGFGzRq2dPG-os_oiFfr0NVosoLvD7EQCPuRYUviTOZjRu3ba113jZKy37WDJxog_HVTMtL9MeDkxjU76CsDs2C7fgniWmtoqMholdB8w9ELtlvhR_ROsiCXnzKCMXCsNDfVG7ZGroLYQoDxWXbud5Cs5Rz1gnPuo?key=j8TZYVqOBtlvl1DHfqbeVQ\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The Armed Forces\u2019 deleted cryptic tweet. Source: TheCable<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Armed Forces\u2019 cryptic Twitter post, \u201cThe audacity,\u201d hinted at their response. Contrary to the military\u2019s disclaimer of non-retaliation, <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong> confirmed that all houses, schools, a primary healthcare facility, churches, a community hall, a hotel, and streetlights were demolished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an exclusive interview with <strong><em>DUBAWA<\/em><\/strong>, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the director of the Defence Media Operation, affirmed the military\u2019s professionalism and questioned the community\u2019s integrity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhatever went on in Okuama was to recover our arms and ammunition that were cut away when those personnel were killed. The military has released a wanted list of about eight people associated with the killings. Where are those people?\u201d he asked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey&#8217;ve gone into hiding. Do the community members know where they are? Of course! Some of them know where they are, but they\u2019ve done nothing to assist in the investigation or to apprehend the people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo, what are we talking about? They&#8217;re all accomplices,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Another promise: Governor to rebuild in Okuama in 3 months<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the conflict began, the community has received support from various organisations, including the Ughelli Diocese of the Anglican Church and the Catholic Diocese of Warri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sheriff Oborevwori, the Delta state governor, met the Ewu Clan Development Forum on May 25, 2024, promising to rebuild the community\u2019s schools and health centre within three months. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Ewu, where residents were encouraged to migrate, was set to accommodate 800 guests, though the bed capacity was only 300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okuama has been a victim of the Army\u2019s broken promise. Will this be another failed promise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>*This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and the Open Society Foundations*<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The phrase \u201cPeace Mission\u201d was plastered across tabloids and amplified on social media, but it was a cruel contradiction for the Okuama community in Delta State\u2019s Ughelli South Local Government. The reality was a decimated community, concealed corpses, and a deserted town with graveyard silence on March 14, 2024. DUBAWA\u2019s investigation fact-checked the military\u2019s \u201cno retaliation\u201d promise amidst a deluge of information disorders that complicated the crisis. Okrika Emmanuel spread his arms like a father about to embrace a lost son while describing his once expansive family residence. But when DUBAWA&#8217;s gaze followed his direction, all that was left was the rubble of a building that once existed.&nbsp; Behind his tinted glasses were eyes that had seen his wife\u2019s death in 2023 and now the worst days of his life\u2014living as a refugee in his homeland. Before retiring from civil service in February 2023, he had built a home and a hotel for his post-retirement needs. His wife had three compounds, but after the siege, only ruins remained. \u201cMy 35 years of suffering have just been destroyed. It\u2019s terrible for me. Even the state government hasn\u2019t paid my pension. To eat is now a problem. My only hope was the hotel, which has now been demolished,\u201d he told DUBAWA. Mr Emmanuel and other community members had recently returned from exile after an eight-week siege by the Nigerian Army following the gruesome murder of 17 military personnel on March 14, 2024. The most viral claim was that soldiers had an altercation with youths who then carried out the horrific act, as shown here and here.&nbsp; Gruesome pictures and videos of dead soldiers on the Forcados River shores circulated widely, drawing global attention. Using Media Cloud, DUBAWA discovered that the incident peaked on March 16, with 8.40% of media content nationwide. Media coverage of the Okuama incidents in graphics on Media Cloud. Credit: Phillip Anjorin\/DUBAWA Fortunately for Emmanuel, he was in Warri during the military invasion, unlike Mary Macaulay, an 80-year-old woman who endured the eight-week ordeal in the debris of her own home, anticipating death as the hope of rescue dimmed with every passing day.&nbsp; Kewe Amanese, the medical doctor attending Mary at the Hospital Management Board Government Hospital in Ewu-Urhobo, Ughelli South LGA, said she miraculously survived. \u201cWhen she came in, I saw an elderly woman who was chronically ill-looking with peri-orbital sunkenness, bilateral leg swellings, and bony prominence all over. So I made a diagnosis of protein energy malnutrition with severe anaemia,\u201d Amanese said. Mary\u2019s survival was attributed to her strong will. She suffered without adequate food or water, sustaining over 15 deep wounds and taking four pints of blood to recover from an 8 per cent PCV. \u201cShe&#8217;s seriously malnourished, and it will take her a couple of months to regain her initial state,\u201d Amanese added. How social media-driven information disorder complicated the crisis Rumours of impending doom had spread fear among residents after different accounts claimed that the army was on a peace mission to settle the communal dispute between Okuama and Okoloba. Brig. Gen Tukur Gusau, Defence Information\u2019s acting director, mentioned Delta youths as the culprits but did not specify Okuama. However, social media already anticipated the military\u2019s reaction, with some users calling for the community\u2019s demolition. A few days after the military pulled out, DUBAWA visited Okuama to investigate how information disorder contributed to the conflict. DUBAWA found that among other claims this report fact-checked, the military\u2019s actions contradicted their claims of non-retaliation. Journey to the Badlands Before DUBAWA\u2019s arrival on May 18, 2024, our fixer facilitated a meeting with the Ewu Clan Development Forum, the umbrella body of all 17 communities in the Ewu Kingdom, including Okuama. Edewor Egedegbe, the forum\u2019s secretary general, revealed that the conflict began on January 27, 2024, when three Okuama indigenes were murdered over a land dispute with Patrick Akpobolokemi, an influential figure from Okoloba recently discharged and acquitted of N8.5 billion fraud case \u2013during his tenure as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)\u2019s former director-general\u2013 with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). On Feb. 2, 2024, the community wrote to the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the police commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda, to address the situation but received no response. Only to see military officers arrive on a \u201cpeace mission\u201d and request that the community leaders follow them to the Army base in Bomadi on March 14, 2024.&nbsp; The community refused to follow them without their local leaders\u2019 presence. Amidst a heated exchange, the military departed and was attacked by strange boats on the Forcados River, according to multiple witnesses and the Ewu Clan Development Forum. The forum identified 101 Okuama residents who died: 86 in the attack and 15 in the forest. Following the interview at Ughelli, we journeyed further to the ancestral land of Okuama, where we met Mr Emmanuel and Revd. Abraham Agbere, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in the community since he arrived in Jan. 2021. The church still stood, but his vicarage was gone. Agbere told DUBAWA that he fled on March 15 after seeing calls for the community\u2019s demolition on social media. Now, Agbere counts his losses: \u201cI feel so bad. For instance, I had 15 bags of Garri and ten oil jerry cans. They were looted. I left money and church uniforms. Nothing was left,\u201d he said. The church became the community\u2019s haven after the soldiers\u2019 withdrawal. \u201cThere was nowhere to stay; they had to be here [the church]. Some of them organised the food they\u2019re now eating,\u201d Agbere said. Esiteru Votte, a 57-year-old mother of five, recounted the mayhem in pidgin, \u201cThey wanted to arrest our chairman, and we women present firmly held on to him. The army started shooting, and we all ran helter-skelter. Many died in the bush, and we haven\u2019t seen some of the others.\u201d \u201cWe only eat fruits with fish and sleep in groups inside the bush. I gave birth to five children, and only two are with me. I\u2019m yet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1571,4,3812,3815,119],"tags":[],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[3263,3009,3699],"class_list":["post-19279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fact-check","category-featured","category-headline","category-homepage","category-security"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-50X","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":3263,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"phillip-anjorin","display_name":"Phillip Anjorin","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/98daaf5d9d7a2c5cd4ce1c417532d1cfa2ca293247710cf46a925146cc2e90e1?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""},{"term_id":3009,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"sunday-awosoro","display_name":"Sunday Awosoro","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""},{"term_id":3699,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"cole-praise","display_name":"Cole Praise","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7934b84f51e2c1f4c1e77cce93c223ac97cc2da29198aa9141fd944b0407bb2d?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Okuama.jpg?fit=1600%2C702&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19279"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19293,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19279\/revisions\/19293"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19279"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=19279"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=19279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}