The seventeen military officers recently mauled down by miscreants in Okwuaba, Delta state, was on Wednesday laid to rest.
The funeral ceremony attended by President Bola Tinubu, some governors, leadership of national assembly and top brass of military hieràrchy was witnessed by grieving families and friends of the gallant military personnel.
The soldiers were killed by vicious criminals at riverine Okuama village on March 14, 2024 when the men in uniform were on a peace mission to warring Okuama and Okoloba communities in the area..
The deceased Soldiers include the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 12 personnel of the battalion.
The COAS described the killing of the soldiers as “most barbaric”, saying it took 72 hours after the unfortunate incident to recover the mutilated bodies of the slain soldiers.
Lt-General Lagbaja reiterated the Army’s commitment to bringing perpetrators of the heinous crime to book and recover all missing weapons.
He said three of the widows of the slain soldiers are pregnant. He assured the families of the fallen soldiers of maximum supports from the Nigerian Army.
He said, “The Okuoma killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and by extension, the Nigerian State, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five and eight months’ pregnant, 21 orphans and many other dependents which include parents.
“While commiserating with the families of these gallants soldiers, I assure them that the Nigerian Army and the good people of this country will not leave them in the cold.”
In his speech, the president assured the families of the soldiers of maximum support.
Tinubu also approved scholarship for all children of the slain soldiers, including those in the womb. He also approved houses for families of the deceased military personnel in any part of Nigeria. The President gave the military 90 days to pay all benefits to the families of the slain officers and soldiers.
Tinubu said, “They have all been awarded now a posthumous national honour. The four gallant officers have been accorded the awards of the Members of the Order of Nigeria (MON), The 13 courageous soldiers who also lost their lives have been awarded the Officers of the Federal Republic medals.”
While commiserating with the families of the slain military personnel, the President said the government’s resolve to hunt down the perpetrators will not wither.
“They won’t go unpunished. We will find them and our departed heroes will get justice,” the President vowed.
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 gruesome murder has continued to draw condemnation from authorities in Nigeria.
The president 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.
