Edwin Clark, elder statesman and leader of the Ijaw Nation, has weighed on the recent killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama, Delta State.
While describing the incident as shocking, barbaric and wicked, he stressed that Nigeria has never witnessed such a tragedy before.
Speaking on Tuesday while fielding questions on Arise Television’s News programme, he advised that the communities and the military should work together to find the assailants.
He however appealed to soldiers to act with restraint and not take law in their own hands, noting that with modern technology they should be able to fish out very soon those who committed the crime.
“What happened a few days ago is very shocking, very barbaric and wicked. I think what is required really, the military together with the communities, all of us should take that task to look for these people who committed this murder. It is very very important.
“In fact, I was so sad when I heard that Lt Col. Ali was involved because on Thursday, 14 March, I spoke to him. I think about 8:45 about my dead younger brother, Col Bernard Clark (rtd), who died recently and was to be buried on Friday to have a military burial.
“I had to contact him. And he told me he was in a vehicle and that he would speak to me later, only to hear that he was among them. At that time he was speaking to me from Agbor in Delta State.
“There’s another one, Major B. I spoke to him about the same time on Wednesday. So I am indeed very very sad that we should lose such a people at a time, even in the Boko Haram war we have never lost soldiers like that. We all support Mr President when he said the people should be looked for,” he said.
“Well my appeal to our gallant soldiers is that they should act maturely and not take the law in their own hands. I know they are provoked. We are all provoked. There are innocent children, pregnant women everywhere.
“As far as I am concerned, we should appeal to the military to take it easy. They have all the modern technology. They should be able to fish out very soon those who committed this crime.
“One should not blame the army so much for whatever must have happened. It’s all collateral damages,” he added.
On Senate President Godswill Akpabio claim that the gruesome act was carried out by mercenaries, he said: “Well that is difficult to believe. I don’t think we should expect this thing. Let’s look at ourselves. As I said, I spoke to the Lt Col on Thursday and he went to the place on Thursday and died.
“Except they had information they were going to Okuama. Otherwise, nobody knew they were going there.
“People to come from outside to waylay them, to surround them is a matter they should investigate. We can’t rule anything out but at the same time let us look at ourselves.
“The leaders of the various communities must be brought together, and find out from them, nobody should be treated as a sacred cow.
“I may say this: I am an Ijaw man and I will be the last person to allow this type of matter to degenerate to a situation whereby we have intercommunal fracas or fight.”
