My People of Okuama in Ughelli South Didn't Kill Any Soldier as Far as I Know- Francis Ejiroghene

The terrible event that occurred in the Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area was addressed by the Honourable Francis Ejiroghene Waive, who is the representative of the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency in Delta State and the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business. His comments were made in an interview with The Sun, in which he discussed the deaths of 17 soldiers and one civilian.

As a result of the tragic loss of life, Waive has voiced their sorrow for the people who have been forced to relocate from Okuama. He emphasised that his request for clemency should not be misunderstood as an admission of guilt on behalf of the community. He said this in many statements. His defence of the Okuama people's innocence was strong, and he characterised them as peasant farmers who were incapable of committing such acts of violence.

When asked about the allegations that the community was involved in the deaths of the troops, Waive vehemently denied any criminality involved in the situation. It was reaffirmed by him that the people who live in Okuama are peaceful farmers who would never intentionally cause harm to anyone, not even to members of the military. Considering that the community has somewhere between two and three hundred residents, Waive emphasised how improbable it is that such allegations would be made against it.

He said: "First, my plea was not an admission of guilt, I must state that very clearly. My people of Okuama in Ughelli South didn't kill any soldier as far as I know and we don't want anybody to insinuate that for any reason. Those people living there; about two to three hundred of them are peasant farmers, they can't kill a human being, not to mention 17 military officers.