Okuama community area of Delta State, residents who fled for fear of reprisal following the killing of 17 soldiers in the decried snake bites and hunger in the bushes where they ran for cover.
One of the fleeing residents on Sunday told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity that children and elders were dying in the bush where they took refuge.
This was as the lawmakers representing the region sought an independent probe, dialogue and humanitarian aid for innocent residents.
A community source said, “The bush our people ran to for safety, snakes are now biting our children and elderly ones to death and hunger is killing others.
“The state government is not responding, our people have died in the community and are now vulnerable, children and elderly ones are dying in the bush and the government is not doing anything.
“They have not set up a commission of inquiry, no support, our people are going through pain. We are calling on the government to come to our aid.
“We are also calling on the international communities to come to our aid. This is total oppression; they don’t want us to speak and people are only hearing one side of the story.
“As I speak to you now, everybody is switching off their phones because they are monitoring our calls.
“You know that our king is now before the military. It is very terrible what we are going through.”
The source urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain what happened in the community.
In his Easter message, the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ede Dafinone, called for peace and prayers for the victims of the Okuama crisis.
In a statement made available to journalists in Warri, Dafinone said “peace is a priceless gift” just as he appealed for restraint from all actors in the Okuama crisis to prevent any further escalation of the violence.
The lawmaker advised that the government should allow for an independent and unbiased panel of investigators to probe the incident and bring all the perpetrators to book.
Dafinone said, “The loss of precious lives in the Okuama crisis is a stark reminder of the fragility of peace and the need for all stakeholders to prioritise dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect. As we mourn the victims and stand in solidarity with their families, I urge restraint from all parties involved, particularly the military authorities, to prevent further escalation of violence and bloodshed, and furthermore to allow an independent probe to unearth the truth surrounding despicable act and bring the perpetrators to book.Punch
