The 17 soldiers of Nigerian Army’s 181 Amphibious Batallion in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, will be buried at the National Military Cemetery Abuja on Wednesday March 27, 2024.
The 17 soldiers were gruesomely killed by irate youths at Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.
Already, their bodies of the slain national heroes arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja via a military aircraft on Tuesday afternoon and were conveyed in a convoy of ambulances into Abuja.
They will be laid to rest on Wednesday at 3:00pm at the National Military Cemetery located along the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway (Airport Road) close to Abuja City Gate.
The deceased officers and soldiers include Lieutenant Colonel AH Ali, the Commanding Officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion, Major SD Shafa (N/13976), Major DE Obi (N/14395), Captain U Zakari (N/16348), Staff Sergeant Yahaya Saidu (#3NA/36/2974), Corporal Yahaya Danbaba (1ONA/65/7274), Corporal Kabiru Bashir (11NA/66/9853), Lance Corporals Bulus Haruna (16NA/TS/5844), Sole Opeyemi (17NA/760719), Bello Anas (17NA/76/290), Hamman Peter (NA/T82653) and Ibrahim Abdullahi (18NA/77/1191).
Others include Privates Alhaji Isah (17NA/76/6079), Clement Francis (19NA/78/0911), Abubakar Ali (19NA/78/2162), Ibrahim Adamu (19NA/78/6079) and Adamu Ibrahim (21NA/80/4795).
The solemn ceremony, organized by the Nigerian Army, will be used to commemorate and remember the sacrifices of and pay respects to the fallen heroes.
It is expected that President Bola Bola Ahmed Tinubu, top political and military leaders, families and friends of the fallen heroes will be on hand to honour the courage and dedication of the brave soldiers who served their fatherland selflessly and paid the supreme sacrifice.
Last week Wednesday, President Tinubu pledged that the 17 soldiers, who lost their lives while on a peace mission in Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State would get a befitting burial and national honours.Tinubu, who spoke during a special Ramadan Iftar (Muslim breaking of fast) with Vice-President Kashim Shettima and House of Representatives leadership, including Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, said: “In responding to distress calls, they met the end of their lives in a savage manner. Let us work to sympathise and symbolise the fact that they are worth the sacrifices they have made for Nigeria. “We salute all our men and women in uniform, and we sympathise with them. I will soon make further pronouncements but they must have a befitting burial and national honours.”
