The Nigerian Navy (NN), has reacted to the alleged extrajudicial killing of one of its civilian staffers, Mr Ifeanyi Richard Onumaegbu.
A trending video on social media demanding justice for the late Onumaegbu has alleged that the brutal assault on some naval personnel in collaboration with a female civilian led to the killing.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, has vowed to punish the personnel involved in the dastard act, by the law, if found guilty.
The CNS in a statement signed by the Spokesperson of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore A Adams-Aliu, yesterday disclosed that suspected personnel and the civilian lady involved in the alleged crime were identified and are currently under close custody.
The Hierarchy of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday said that an undisclosed number of terrorists and their leadership in the North West were killed and their enclaves destroyed, by the Air Component of Operations Hadarin Daji, during a coordinated operations.
Giving details of the preliminary investigation into the tragic killing of Onumaegbu, the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Adams-Aliu, said, “The Nigerian Navy (NN) is deeply saddened by the demise of Mr Ifeanyi Richard Onumaegbu and the circumstances surrounding his death.
“The NN wishes to inform the general public that the deceased was an integral part of the NN family as a civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence attached to the Laboratory Department of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital (NNRH) Ojo, Lagos, since 2009 and he served meritoriously. On 31 March 2024, he was found lifeless in his office at NNRH.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that four days earlier, on 26 March 2024, the deceased was involved in an altercation with a civilian lady and some NN personnel in Navy Town barracks. Consequently, all suspected personnel and the civilian lady involved in the previous altercation were identified and are currently under close custody.
“The NN has facilitated the movement of the deceased’s body to a reputable government hospital in Lagos based on the request of the family for an autopsy.”
The NN, he said had assured his family and general public that all necessary measures were being taken to unravel the cause of death and any person found culpable would be prosecuted according to extant laws.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, in a statement yesterday, said that following carefully conducted observation missions over the Camps of terrorist kingpins, Abdullahi Nasanda in Zurmi Local Government Area (LGA) and Mallam Tukur’s camp in Gusau LGA of Zamfara State, air strikes by the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji on 10 April 2024, led to the elimination of several terrorists and their structures.
According to AVM Gabkwet, the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission conducted on Abdullahi Nasanda’s Camp revealed terrorists’ activities around some huts and thatched roof structures.
He said, “Some of their motorcycles were also observed hiding in trees. Having established that their activities were consistent with terrorists’ modes of operation, the location was struck by multiple aircraft passes, thereby neutralizing several terrorists.
“Similar ISR missions were conducted at Mallam Tukur Camp, where terrorists’ activities were also observed. Air strikes conducted on the Camp neutralized several terrorists and showed several structures set ablaze and destroyed.
“Air strikes were also extended to Kani kawa in Maradun town, under Maradun LGA of Zamfara State, where terrorists, their enclaves and equipment were attacked and destroyed.”
