TheCable

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Sunday posted a cryptic message on X, formerly called Twitter, after 16 military personnel were killed in Delta state.

The personnel — comprising a lieutenant ​colonel, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers — were killed on Thursday while on a “peacekeeping mission” in Okuoma, Bomadi LGA of Delta.

They had reportedly responded to a distress call after a communal clash between the Okuoma and Okoloba communities.

In a post on X, the DHQ simply said: “The Audacity”, accompanied with a black love emoji.

The post has since been deleted.

In 2001, more than 100 people were killed in Zaki Biam, a community in Benue state, by soldiers who were out to avenge the death of 19 of their colleagues.

The soldiers were killed when they were deployed to restore law and order, following clashes between the Tiv in Benue and Jukun in Taraba.

Two years prior, the army invaded Odi, a community in Bayelsa state, and killed many civilians. The death toll from what became known as the ‘Odi massacre’ is still disputed.

The army had invaded the community after 12 police officers were killed by a militia.

In 2009, tens of thousands of civilians were caught in the crossfire between the Joint Task Force (JTF) and armed groups in Gbaramatu, a community nestled in Warri, Delta state.

The JTF offensive began after personnel were reported to have been attacked by armed groups from the community.

In 2014, government officials said about 26,000 people were displaced by fighting in Bama, Borno state, after soldiers battled to retake a town that had been seized by Boko Haram insurgents.