Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has criticized President Bola Tinubu for ordering the Nigerian Army to fish out those they believe killed its personnel in Delta State.
The senior lawyer declared that the president does not have the right to send the Nigerian Army to investigate the carnage that happened in the Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.
On the contrary, the activist urged the president to recognize the fact that it is the role of the Police to investigate such matters while the military is saddled with issues of external aggression.
Falana noted that when a retired Army General was murdered in the North a few years ago, it was the police that were saddled with the internal task of fishing out the perpetrators of the murder, not the Army.
Falana, who spoke during an interview with CHANNELS TELEVISION on Monday, explained that because of the loss in the judicial system, some Nigerians are applauding the military for invading the community because everybody embraces mob justice.
According to him, the President cannot order the military to go after civilians involved in the heinous act, noting that it is the job of the police.
He said: “On the night of the 16th, angry soldiers stormed Okuama village and set it on fire. For me, it is unavoidable. You can’t blame soldiers alone because there is a general notion in society that because of loss in the judicial system, everybody embraces mob justice. Even the statement of the President yesterday (Sunday). We are in a democratic system of government. The President cannot order military authorities to fish out civilians involved in a heinous crime. That is the duty of the police.”
The spokesperson of Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, had said that a Lieutenant Colonel, two Majors, one Captain, and 12 soldiers, were all ambushed and killed by local youths on Thursday while responding to a distress call arising from a communal crisis between the Okuoma and Okoloba communities.
There have been reports that some arsonists invaded the coastal community of Okuama in Delta State to set it ablaze in what many believe to be reprisal attack from the Nigerian Army over the killing of their personnel by irate youths in the area.
It was gathered that the community located between Bomadi and Ughelli South Local Government Area went up in flames and chaos following the discovery of beheaded and mutilated bodies of 16 military personnel who were killed while on a peacekeeping mission.