President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday promised that the 17 Nigerian Army personnel who were gruesomely killed 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, again expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and pledged that the sacrifices of the fallen heroes will never be in vain.
According to Tinubu: ‘’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.’’
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has also condemned the gruesome killing of the soldiers and commiserated with the Nigerian government.
It called on the authorities “to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of the soldiers and apprehend the perpetrators with the view to bringing them to justice.
“The Commission urges the communities to eschew all forms of violence and employ pacific means to resolve their differences and maintain communal harmony in the overall interest of all”.
The deceased officers and soldiers, who were of 181 Amphibious Batallion in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, 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).