Okuama 17: Buried with full military honours!
•FG gives MON to slain soldiers, offers scholarships, housing to wards, families
Cross Udo and Linus Aleke, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday bestowed post humus honours of Member of the Order of Niger (MON) on the 17 military officers and soldiers who were killed by yet-to-be-identified assailants on March 14 in Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The President also granted scholarships to the children of the gallant soldiers up to the university level and offered housing to the bereaved families.
The 17 officers and soldiers that were gruesomely murdered were Lt Col A.H Ali, Major D.E Obi, Major S.D. Ashafa, Captain U. Zakari, Staff Sergeant Yahaya Saidu, Corporal Danbaba Yahaya, Corporal Kabir Bashir,
Others were Lance Corporal Abdullahi Ibrahim, Lance Corporal Bulus Haruna, Lance Corporal Sole Opeyemi, Lance Corporal Bello Anas; Private Alhaji Isah, Private Clement Francis, Private Abubakar Ali, Private Adamu Ibrahim, Private Hamman Peter, and Private Ibrahim Adamu.
Speaking during the funeral of the fallen soldiers at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja, Tinubu commended the Armed Forces for their restraint in choosing not to carry out any reprisal attacks in Okuama or its neighbouring communities.
*Tinubu: Killers won’t go unpunished
He directed the chiefs and elders of the Okuama community in Delta State to help the military fish out those behind the barbaric murder of 17 officers and soldiers on a peace mission to the community, saying that the culprits will not go unpunished.
Tinubu also warned the military against reprisal attacks in the Okuama community that would lead to innocent people bearing the brunt of the wicked ones among them.
He said, “It is worth restating the debt of gratitude we owe these valiant soldiers and their families.
“As Commander-In-Chief, I do not take the contributions of members of our Armed Forces for granted. I recognise your valour and bravery. I honour your unflinching commitment to making our country safe from criminals, bandits, kidnappers, and insurrectionists.
“While we continue to grieve for the courageous men we lost that day, let us also, on this solemn occasion, be reminded of the unfinished business of working for peace and harmony in our communities.
“We must begin to rebuild our communities and make them into places where love, tolerance, and harmony will reign. Leaders at all levels especially community leaders and traditional rulers must work to strengthen the bonds that unite us. We must end the cycle of violence and bloodletting.
“I want to make it clear, once more, that those who committed this heinous crime will not go unpunished. We will find them and our departed heroes will get justice.
“The elders and chiefs of Okuama also must help the military in fishing out the gunmen who committed the barbaric crime against our men.
*Warns military against reprisal on innocent people
“I wish to also commend our Armed Forces for their restraint in choosing not to carry out any reprisal attacks in Okuama or its neighbouring communities.
“We must all ensure that the innocent people of Okuama are not made to bear the punishment of the guilty and wicked among them.
“To the entire armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have a message for you: Do not let the death of your compatriots discourage you. There is no higher honour than the vocation you have chosen to pursue.
“We cherish you. We cherish your labour of love. We salute your daily sacrifice in protecting your fellow citizens from danger. We acknowledge your sacrifices to defend our nation.
“Within our continent, our sub-region, and across the world, the Nigerian Military has remained a force for good, embodying a great example and keeping our democracy safe.
“We now must protect the families of our departed heroes. The Federal Government will provide a house in any part of our country to each of the families of the four officers and 13 soldiers. The Federal Government has also approved scholarships to all the children of the deceased up to the university level.
“The Military must, within the next 90 days, ensure that all the benefits of the departed are paid to their families. May the families of the departed and all their loved ones find the strength to bear the pain of this loss.”
He said that the officers and soldiers who lost their lives were patriots, brave and noble men who gave their lives to defend and protect our nation against internal and external threats. Their sacrifice will be remembered and honoured for generations to come.
He said, “On 14 March, Lt. Colonel A. H. Ali, the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, led three other officers and 13 soldiers to the Okuama Community to mediate in the lingering dispute with Okoloba Community.”
Tinubu said that the officers and soldiers went as peacemakers and peace keepers respectfully seeking to bring an end to the hostilities between the two communities, adding that they didn’t go with tanks, machine guns, and other weapons.
“They were on a mission of peace,” he said
Tinubu said before the dastardly attack, Lt. Col Ali, as the Chief of Army Staff briefed him, enjoyed great operational exploits; fighting terrorists and insurgents in the North-East and North-West before his deployment to the Niger Delta.
He said the late Ali kept faith in his military calling till the end.
“On behalf of a grateful nation, we honour the sacrifice of Ali and the other gallant patriots who died that day. They will forever be remembered as heroes who answered the call of duty and paid the ultimate price,” he said.
While recognising their sacrifices, the President said, “Each man now belongs to the hallowed list of servicemen and women who defended our country and protected their fellow Nigerians not minding the risk to their own lives.
“They have all been awarded posthumous national honours. The four gallant Officers have been accorded the Award of Member of the Order of Niger (MON). The thirteen courageous soldiers who also lost their lives have been awarded the Officer of the Federal Republic Medal.”
*Grief as service chiefs, others bid farewell
Meanwhile, in a solemn and sorrowful funeral at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, said that the military profession is a matter of life and death.
Noting that the slain soldiers left behind 21 orphans, and many other dependents, including their parents, Gen Lagbaja said that three out of the 10 windows are four, five, and eight months pregnant.
The COAS noted that a lot of restraints have been exercised in its search and recovery efforts for missing arms, ammunition, other equipment, and body parts.
According to him, “Ours is a profession that deals with matters of life and death. When soldiers die in the hands of the enemies of the State, we take it as dying for what the nation has considered a just cause; we celebrate them as gallant heroes. But when they are gruesomely murdered by the very people they are trained, equipped, and took an oath to protect, it is highly demoralizing.
“It is no longer news that 17 of the Nigerian Army’s finest men, whom we have come to bury, were murdered in a reprehensible manner on 14 March 2024 in the Okuama community of Delta State while they went on a legitimate peace-making mission.
“It grieves my heart that it took our search and recovery effort over 72 hours to recover some vital organs of the decapitated and disembowelled bodies of my men that were scattered all over the Okuama community by the community youths and their friends.
“I consider it the most barbaric act any citizen or community can commit against the authority of the state, and I must place on record that a lot of restraints have been exercised so far in our search and recovery efforts for missing arms, ammunition, other equipment, and body parts.
“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and, by extension, the Nigeria state – 10 windows (three of whom are 4, 5, and 8 months pregnant), 21 orphans, and many other dependents which include parents”.
While commiserating with the families of these gallant soldiers, the COAS assured them that the Nigerian Army and the good people of this country would not leave them in the cold.
On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa said that they have gathered with heavy hearts and tear-filled eyes to bid farewell to their fallen heroes, the brave men of the Armed Forces of Nigeria who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our nation.
According to him, “We stand here to honour their courage, dedication, and unwavering commitment to duty. Their lives were abruptly taken from us in the line of duty, while on a peace mission at Okuama community in Delta State on March 14.
“We are gathered here not only to mourn their loss but also to celebrate their lives and extraordinary contributions to our beloved nation.
“We are gathered here today, not only as grieving family members, friends, and colleagues but also as a nation united in sorrow. These fallen heroes exemplified the very best of service to the nation and the love for the country.
“They were the vanguards of peace, the guardians of our freedom, and the sentinels of our security. Their selflessness and unwavering dedication to duty will forever be etched in our hearts and memories.
“To the beloved families who have lost their loved ones, we extend our deepest condolences. We cannot begin to fathom the pain and sorrow that you are experiencing. Please know that you are not alone in your grief as the entire nation and the Armed Forces mourn with you and stand ready to support you in every way possible”.
Noting that no words can ease the bereaved families’ pain, the CDS expressed hope that they will find solace in the knowledge that their loved ones made an indelible mark on our nation’s history.
