Condemnation For Okuama Military Killings: Do Police Officers’ Lives Matter Less?
By: Yahaya Kana Ismaila
Last week, the small village of Okuama in the Bomadi area of Ughelli South LGA of Delta state came into limelight, albeit for the wrong reasons, when 17 men of the Nigerian Army 187 Amphibious Battalion were gruesomely cut down by youths now at large. A lieutenant Colonel, 2 Majors, a Captain as well as 13 others lost their lives in that ambush. It was reported that the killers did not only cart away the military men’s rifles, but they also dismembered and carted away some of their vital organs. Military authorities just announced the recovery of some of the decomposing hearts of the slain officer.
As expected, all well-meaning Nigerians have condemned that dastardly act, with the president releasing a statement of condemnation, before granting the military a special operations order to do everything humanly possible to arrest the perpetrators of that heinous crime. The Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria was not left out in honouring the slain soldiers as it observed a minute silence for the repose of their souls. Even ECOWAS issued a communique condemning the senseless killings. The publicity given the killings by military authorities and re-echoed by the press, was unparalleled and it actually attracted the deserved public condemnation across the country and the world. It has been one week since that incident and not even the governor of Delta State nor the police commissioner in the state has been allowed access into Okuama, to show you the liberties that military authorities have been granted to do what needs to be done.
From the foregoing, it is clear that the federal government as well as Nigerians value the lives of these officers so much that everyone seems to cringe at the thought of anyone mustering the audacity to kill military officers in the manner of the Okuama killings. This national angst at the Okuama killing is unfortunately one of the greatest examples of hypocrisy and most disturbingly, the national dehumanization of men of other forces, especially men of the Nigerian police force who have suffered even more gruesome fates than what was visited on the Okuama 17. It is as if Nigerians are unanimous in that classification of military men as more human, more patriotic, and therefore more deserving of national empathy and action in the face of such unfortunate incidents than police officers. I will detail several examples of police killings that have practically gone unnoticed.
One month ago, or thereabouts, nineteen (19) Police Officers deployed for a legitimate assignment, were gruesomely murdered by kidnappers/herders still in the same Ughelli South LGA where the 17 soldiers were killed last week. Two weeks later, some of their decomposing bodies were found by vigilantes, and as I write this, some corpses of the slain police officers are yet to be recovered. Sadly, not only did the police authority practically keep the incident away from the public, but they may have also tried to refute it. It was as if the President was not briefed about that gory incident nor was the national assembly brought into the picture. So, no presidential statement, no senate one-minute silence; nothing. Not even the mainstream media considered that dastardly even worthy of news rave. By implication, the 19 police officers killed in much the same gruesome manner as the 17 Military officers have been treated to a cold national reception.
Talking of receptions, the recent killing on 23rd March 2024 of 6 police officers in Delta state has received some form of media coverage perhaps as an extension of the anger against the killers of the Okuama 17. Police say the officers were investigating the disappearance of 3 of their colleagues in Ohoro Forest when they met their untimely end. Six officers are said to still be missing in action. The proximity of this killing to that of the officers is definitely playing some role because, in a tweet welcoming the release of the Kuriga school children, the president managed to lump the police killings with the Okuama 17. That notwithstanding, I can bet that many Nigerians are unaware of, or just didn’t care enough about the death of these police officers.
Other incidents of cold receptions abound. For instance, in September of last year, a police Divisional Officer attached to Ahoada Division, Bako Angbashim was ambushed and captured in Odiemudie community in Ahoada East Local Government of area of the state by a cult gang led by Gift Okpara aka Tubaba. The Nasarawa born officer was killed and his body dismembered on camera. Nothing can compare to the gruesome murder of a state operative on camera, and we cannot begin to imagine the trauma of such death on his loved ones who may have watched the decapitation of their bread winner on social media. Sadly, Angbashim’s gruesome murder was given something of a fleeting media coverage.
All over Nigeria, but especially Southeast, hardly a day passes without reports of police officers killed on duty. Imo state was the worst hit in 2022 with reports suggesting close 50 officers may have lost their lives in the hands of separatist and ESN elements. The nature of the killings, for most officers that were first abducted are usually gruesomely disturbing and usually carried out on camera.
This circle of selective angst against killings of police officers didn’t start today. While Zaki Biam and Odi were completely ransacked for the killing of some soldiers, over 120 police officers, men of the DSS and Civil Defence were killed in 2013 by the Ombatse group led by a certain Baba Alakyo. In one fell swoop, more than 120 police and other officers were brutally murdered, and their corpses burnt to ash in that attack in Nasarawa State which also cost the police the life of Mohammed Momoh, an assistant commissioner of police.
Sadly, this dastardly didn’t warrant a National Day of Mourning, and I can’t remember the Senate affording the slain officers one minute silence. Not even the media stood up to be counted as much of what came to the public was pieced together from social media platforms, with the mainstream media reacting very late with exclusives that didn’t do much to suggest a national anger towards the killers. It is almost 10 years now and I wonder what became of the loved ones of the victims of that Ombatse massacre.
Time to end this preferential treatment even of tragedy. Our security men, regardless of the colour of their uniforms deserve equal honour, empathy, and respect for their patriotic service to this nation. Their lives are equal before man and God and the anguish and pain felt by their loved ones when they die is the same. Therefore, the national reaction and condemnation should be the same for all services, and in the manner registered for the Okuama killing. The president especially must resist the temptation to be perceived as being biased to some services. Having said that, the police authorities must take responsibility for their officers. The greatest source of demoralisation among officers is the deliberate attempt by security hierarchy to downplay or coverup the death of officers in the line of duty.
Some animals are more equal than others, i submit