One year after the tragic deaths of 17 military men on a peacekeeping mission, the Okuama community in Delta State came together to memorialize their dead leaders.
Among them was President General, James Oghorokor, whose name remains in many people’s hearts. Their message is clear: they want justice, the release of incarcerated community leaders, and the opportunity to reconstruct their damaged lives.
It has been exactly one year since the tragic event that permanently transformed the Okuama village.
Once a thriving riverine community, Okuama now feels like a ghost town.
The scars of that fateful the 14th of March 2024 still linger. For many, life has never been the same.
For months, residents sought refuge in an IDP camp set up by the Delta State Government—until it was shut down in December last year.
Now, with no home to return to, they live in uncertainty, clinging to memories and the hope of justice.
They gathered, not just to mourn, but to remind the world of what they lost.
On a makeshift board, the names of the fallen were written, those who never made it past that sad day.
Among them, President General James Oghorokor, who died in military custody last December. Four others remain behind bars, as the community makes a fresh plea to the federal government for their release.
Mr. Abraham Ogbodo is the chairman of IDP Management Committee.
In an exclusive interview with TVC News, he discussed what the State Government has done so far.
According to him, the natives’ complaints have reached the National Assembly.
On Tuesday, during plenary, Francis Waive, a Member of the House of Representatives for the Ughelli/Udu Constituency, urged the federal government to intervene, demanding the release of the arrested community leaders and for the Nigerian Army to take responsibility for rebuilding Okuama.
As the sun sets over the river, the people of Okuama remain steadfast in their call for justice. A year may have passed, but their pain—and their fight—endures
