Delta 17: Tinubu, Govs Pay Final Respects As Military Holds Burial For Gallant Soldiers
The remains of the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 12 personnel of the battalion will be interred at the military cemetary.
By Kayode Oyero
Bodies of slain military personnel arrived the National Military Cemetery, Abuja for burial on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.
The bodies of 17 gallant military personnel killed on March 14, 2024 in the Okuama village of the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have arrived the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, for burial.
The remains of the soldiers gruesomely murdered by vicious residents of the riverine village when the men in uniform were on a peace mission to warring Okuama and Okoloba communities in the area will be interred with full military honour.
In attendance are the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas are also present.
Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and Abba Yusuf (Kano) are already seated at the burial site.
President Bola Tinubu joined the solemn assembly at exactly 04:10pm. Earlier on Wednesday, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that President will be at the solemn event in “honour of our men of gallantry and valor” who paid the supreme price.
It is confirmed that President Bola Tinubu will be attending the national burial for the Nigerian military officers and soldiers killed on 14 March by some gunmen in Okuama Community in Delta State. It is the first time in the last ten years that a Nigerian President will attend… pic.twitter.com/EJ7X8E2CiP
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) March 27, 2024
The slain military personnel responded to a distress call after a communal land dispute when they were gruesomely murdered.
The beheaded corpses of the slain soldiers were later recovered from a neigbouring rivers, while the stomachs and hearts of others were ripped off.
The Defence Headquarters later released the list of 17 military personnel killed in the attack.
The Defence Headquarters said 17 personnel including the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 12 personnel of the battalion were killed.
The gruesome murder has continued to draw condemnation from authorities in Nigeria. Tinubu described it as an attack on the nation and gave marching orders to security agencies to fish out the masterminds of the attack. The President also said the slain military personnel will be conferred with national honours.
The Senate, host Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, as well as civil society organisations have condemned the gruesome murder of the soldiers and called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
More to follow…
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