President Bola Tinubu has maintained that the perpetrators behind the killing of 17 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army in Delta State on March 14, 2024, must be apprehended, echoing the demands for justice voiced by families during the burial ceremony of the fallen military personnel at the National Cemetery in Abuja on Wednesday.
In his address at the event, Tinubu emphasized the imperative for leaders in Delta State to identify and bring to justice those responsible for ambushing the soldiers while they were on a peacekeeping mission in the Okuama community.
The President asserted that the perpetrators would not evade punishment, as he posthumously conferred national honors on the slain officers.
The deceased soldiers were honored across three categories, including the Member of the Order of Niger, Federal Republic Medal I, and Federal Republic Medal II.
Furthermore, the Federal Government provided housing for the families of the slain soldiers, granted scholarships to their children, and directed the military to disburse the soldiers’ benefits to their next of kin within 90 days.
During the ceremony, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, expressed profound dismay at the loss of military personnel in Delta, while the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, pledged to pursue and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Tinubu, present at the burial service, announced the allocation of housing facilities for surviving family members, scholarships for their children up to university level, and the prompt payment of death benefits within the stipulated 90-day period.
Wednesday’s conferral of national honors follows Tinubu’s earlier commitment made during a Ramadan fast-breaking event with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and House leadership at the Presidential Villa on March 20.
Reflecting on the tragic events of March 14, when Lt. Colonel A. H. Ali and other officers and soldiers were slain during a peacekeeping mission, Tinubu remarked, “They went as peacemakers and peacekeepers, seeking to bring an end to the hostilities between the two communities.”