The lawmaker for the Bomadi Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Kenneth Oboro Preyor, has called for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the horrific deaths of soldiers during a peace and rescue mission at Okuama community in the state’s Ughelli South Local Government Area, describing it as a national tragedy.

In light of the unprovoked killing of the peacemakers, Preyor made the statement yesterday at a press conference in Bomadi, the headquarters of the Bomadi Local Government Area.

He urged the federal government to find the criminals as soon as possible and bring them to justice.

He said: “I condemn in its entirety the barbaric and gruesome killing of the soldiers on a peace and rescue mission. This is a national calamity and I strongly condemn the barbaric act.

“As a representative of Bomadi State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, in which Okoloba is one of the communities, we invited the leadership of both communities to the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolution, headed by Chief Godwin Uzor on 7th February, 2024.

“Present at the meeting were my counterpart in Ughelli South, Hon. Festus Otuama, the immediate past chairmen of Bomadi and Ughelli South LGAs, CSP Chuks Ukadike represented the State Commissioner of Police and representatives of other security apparatuses.

“At the end of the meeting, a Peace Accord was signed by both parties. But, it was unfortunate one of the parties, Okuama community, breached the Accord and became the aggressor until the present national calamity.

“It’s so painful that a mere community land dispute led to the claiming of innocent lives of military officers and soldiers, people who have taken upon themselves to defend our country.

“As I’m addressing this press briefing, I am weeping within, I’m not happy because those are breadwinners of families and it’s very painful.

“The federal government should ensure the perpetrators of this dastardly act should not go unpunished.

‘They must be fished out wherever they go, and the military intelligence has the capacity to do it to bring these idiots to face the wrath of the law.

” I call on all my constituents to continue to maintain the peace in the constituency”.