Chief Edwin Clark, an elder statesman and leader of the Ijaw Nation, decried the recent massacre of troops in Delta State, emphasising that Nigeria has never seen such a tragedy before.
Clark described the incident as frightening, savage, and nasty.
Clark also advised that the communities and the military should work together to find the murderer(s).
He revealed this on Tuesday when answering questions on Arise Television’s news broadcast.
Clark also urged soldiers to exercise restraint and not take the law into their own hands, stressing that with current technology, they should be able to apprehend individuals responsible for the crime quickly.
“What happened a few days ago is very shocking, very barbaric, and wicked. I think what is really required is that the military, together with the communities, take on the task of looking 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, March 14, 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 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 says the people should be “looked for,” he said.
Pleading with the military to act with restraint while going after perpetrators to avoid inflicting more collateral damage Clark said, “Well, my appeal to our gallant soldiers is that they should act maturely and not take the law into their own hands. I know they are provoked. We are all provoked. There are innocent children and 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 catch those who committed this crime very soon.
“One should not blame the army so much for whatever must have happened. It’s all collateral damages.”
