Olorogun Sleek Oshare, a community leader in Delta State, has revealed that a land dispute was the underlying cause of the gruesome murder of seventeen military personnel in the Okuama community of Delta State last week.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oshare disclosed that the military personnel were present in the area as part of efforts to mediate a land dispute between Okuama and a neighboring community.

According to Oshare, the dispute stemmed from tensions between two families over land ownership, with one community feeling pressured by the perceived military connection of the other community.

“The quarrel was just a land dispute between one family and another family and land disputes happen over and over again,” he said.

“One community felt that the other had a military connection and they were being pressured unnecessarily. The pressure is more on Okuoma and they don’t have anybody to speak for them.

“In the whole narrative, you don’t hear the name of the other community. Where is Okoloba? In the last two days, Okoloba has disappeared because they are also afraid.

“Sometimes, it is made to look as if it were an ethnic thing. It was just a dispute between individuals and Okoloba, which seems to have more connections.

“The families that were involved in the dispute are highly placed. Until we go into the real investigation, the truth will not come out.

“It is then the nation will come out to sympathize with the children, pregnant women, and old people who could have lost their lives in the random shootings.”

He called for restraint in assigning blame, cautioning against the portrayal of the incident as solely an ethnic conflict.

Oshare urged a focus on the victims, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly affected by the violence.

While condemning the killings, Oshare stressed the importance of avoiding actions that could incite further violence or prejudice against the people of Okuama.

In response, security expert Kabiru Adamu emphasized the community’s responsibility in assisting authorities to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.

Adamu urged the community to collaborate with the Nigerian state in the investigation, emphasizing the importance of community support in achieving justice for the victims and preventing future incidents.

”The community has a responsibility to support the Nigerian state in fishing out those responsible,” the security expert said.

Since the tragic event, both the Federal Government, Delta State, and military authorities have pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice, signaling a concerted effort to address the root causes of the violence and restore peace in the region.