Pro-democracy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), said on Tuesday that the dastardly criminal act of killing over a dozen soldiers and senior Army officers is clear evidence that the military institution is lagging behind in civil and military relations.

HURIWA expressed consternation that many Nigerians are bereft of any knowledge of the necessity of occasionally drafting in soldiers on internal security operations in aid of the policing institution. The rights group said regrettably, many Nigerians have raised posers why those military agents were sent on peace keeping mission in that part of Delta State that sadly resulted in high casualties.

“HURIWA believes that the military authorities must do more to bring about massive enlightenment and strategic advocacy campaigns to educate, inform and broaden the understanding of the arduous tasks of the military in carrying out internal security operations whereby the situation calls for such high-profile intervention. It is only when the civil populace is made consciously and intentionally aware of the essence and telos of such strategic military engagement that their fuller and active participation and collaboration can be obtained to avoid any possible conflicts. In the last 5 years, the armed forces have not done enough to bridge the gaps between civilians and the military components of the society.”

HURIWA has therefore called on the chief of Defence General Christopher Gwabin Musa and the Service Chiefs to rejig and introduce transformative strategies to improve civil and military dialogues so as to win the hearts and minds of the citizens towards achieving the national security objective. The Rights group said the military hierarchy must adequately fund the activities of that department of civil and military affairs so as to deepen the scopes of continuous dialogues between civilians and the military.

HURIWA said that the recent pre-meditated and callous killings of about sixteen military operatives including some senior Army officers by some armed gunmen in Okuama community of Bomadi LGA of Delta State, shows that there are many gaps which needed to be filled to improve civil and military affairs in Nigeria.

The Rights group in a media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said much more than just hosting occasional, periodic and mere academic seminars by the offices of the chiefs of civil military affairs of the different segments of the Nigerian armed forces, needed to be done to bridge the increasingly yawning gaps between the civilians and their military counterparts. The Rights group advocated the active partnership between the military and credible civil rights organisations in the areas of organising broad-based strategic civil military dialogues in atmospheres devoid of mutual suspicions.

HURIWA recalled that following the killing of troops of the Nigerian Army deployed for a peacekeeping mission to two warring communities in Bomadi LGA of Delta State, including the commanding officer, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers, the Chief of Defence Staff, General CG Musa, has ordered the immediate arrest and investigation of all those involved.

The Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, confirmed the killing of the military personnel on Saturday.

He said, “The troops of 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, while on a peace mission to Okuama community in Bomadi LGA of Delta State were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

“The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities, both in Delta State.

“The reinforcement team led by the commanding officer was also attacked, leading to the deaths of the commanding officer, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers.