A man from the Okuama community, Ewu Kingdom, located in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, who goes by the name Otu (pseudonym), has shared his account of leaving his wife behind in the village and fleeing with their two children.
Hundreds of women and children of the Okuama community had fled for dear lives when troops of the Nigerian Army invaded the community over the killing of 17 soldiers last Friday.
The people have been stranded for six days in the deep forests, without food to eat.
Speaking on the development, the man told our correspondent from his hideout that he trekked all through the day and night backing one of his kids and carrying the other on his shoulder through the forest to neighboring Tebideba.
He lamented that they were denied entry by the people for fear that soldiers might also invade their community.
“I trekked for one and half days through the thick of the forest, running away from the invading soldiers with one child strapped on my back and another on my shoulder. I left my wife behind in that moment of confusion.
“When we got to Tebideba, I thought relief had come, but we were denied stay by the people who said they did not want to have any issue with the military.
‘’Understating their fear, given the tense situation in the area, we had to return to the forest and continue our search for succour until we saw somebody paddling a canoe and pleaded for assistance.
“The Good Samaritan paddled us to the boundary with Sangana community, and there we got another lift through a local canoe to Sangana, from where we boarded a boat and left. You can imagine carrying two kids for one and a half days trekking through the thick forest, using the sun as a guide.
“It was just by the grace of God that we escaped. My worry now is about my wife, particularly, as I have been unable to reach her on phone since I fled the town,”
he recounted.
