The Defence Headquarters has published the roster of 17 military personnel who lost their lives in an assault in Delta State.
These servicemen met their demise last week in Okuama, a community situated in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, during a peacekeeping mission.
The Defence Headquarters disclosed that among the casualties were 17 individuals, including the Commanding Officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, along with two majors, one captain, and 12 other members of the battalion.
“May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” expressed the Nigerian Army via its official platform, accompanying a photo compilation of the personnel on Monday evening.
The Defence Headquarters gave the names of those killed as:
– Lt Col AH Ali, the Command Officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion, Nigerian Army.
– Maj SD Shafa (N/13976)
– Maj DE Obi (N/14395)
– Capt U Zakari (N/16348)
– SSgt Yahaya Saidu (#3NA/36/2974)
– Cpl Yahaya Danbaba (1ONA/65/7274)
– Col Kabiru Bashir (11NA/66/9853)
– LCol Bulus Haruna (16NA/TS/5844)
– Lal Sole Opeyemi (17NA/760719)
– LCpl Bello Anas (17NA/76/290)
– LCpl Hamman Peter (NA/T82653)
– LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi (18NA/77/1191)
– Pte Alhaji Isah (17NA/76/6079)
– Pte Clement Francis (19NA/78/0911)
– Pte Abubakar Ali (19NA/78/2162)
– Pte Ibrahim Adamu (19NA/78/6079)
– Pte Adamu Ibrahim (21NA/80/4795).
Tinubu orders manhunt of killers
Following the killing, the Okuama community was razed but the Nigerian Army has assured residents of the area of no reprisal attacks.
“While law-abiding citizens are assured that there will be no reprisal on the part of the troops, we enjoin all to go about their normal activities, even as ongoing efforts are scaled up to positively identify and isolate the criminals to account for their atrocious deeds,” it said.
The gruesome murder has continued to draw condemnation from authorities in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu described it as an attack on the nation and gave marching orders to security agencies to fish out the masterminds of the attack.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, I join all well-meaning Nigerians and the men and women of our armed forces to mourn and express my profound grief over the needless death of our gallant soldiers,” Tinubu said.
“I extend my profound condolences to the families of these fallen soldiers, their colleagues, and their loved ones. The military high command is already responding to this incident. The cowardly offenders responsible for this heinous crime will not go unpunished.”
‘Innocent people cannot be attacked’
While human rights lawyer Femi Falana condemned the attack, he is also faulting the razing of the community.
“There are innocent people in Okuama who are as angry as the government in ensuring that the criminal elements are brought to justice but when you go and set their houses on fire and attack innocent people, you have offended domestic laws because it is right in our country that there is no vicarious liability in criminality,” Falana said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“Nigeria domesticated the Geneva Convention in 1960 and under Article 33 of the Geneva Convention, collective punishment is prohibited. Innocent people cannot be attacked, even in a war situation”.
