A lawmaker, Rodney Ambaiowei (PDP-Bayelsa), has urged the military to be cautious searching for the killers of 17 soldiers in Okuama community, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking at a news conference, Ambaiowei said, “The execution of intelligence reports in fishing out the culprits should be done with utmost caution to minimise collateral damage to innocent and law-abiding citizens. Caution and professionalism must be the watchword to curtail unpleasant and regrettable consequences in the approach to bringing the culprits to book”.

He said that the action of those who killed the soldiers had spilled over to Igbomotoru in the Southern Ijaw federal constituency.

He stated, “Innocent men, women and children in the Igbomotoru community have been killed in the process, while several others are taking refuge in the bushes, with the children not being able to go to school.

”It has become imperative and compelling to lend my voice in condemning an event which is uncalled for, the avoidable loss of lives of Nigerians on the side of the Nigerian military and the communities affected in the Ughelli South and Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency.

“There is no gainsaying that the gruesome and unprovoked murder of 17 officers and men of the Nigerian Army consisting of a lieutenant colonel, two majors, a captain, and 12 other men of the military by criminals in Okuama community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta, is one of the worse things to have happened to our gallant soldiers in recent history.’’

He said he has confidence in the Nigerian Army’s capacity to gather intelligence within a short period.

The lawmaker condoled with President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the families of the fallen heroes, and the good people of Nigeria.

He appealed to the people of Igbomotoru and the entire Southern-Ijaw Federal Constituency to be vigilant and report any strange movements in their various communities to the nearest law enforcement agents.

(NAN)