Bodies of 17 soldiers killed in Delta arrive military cemetery for burial

The bodies of 17 gallant soldiers killed on March 14, 2024, in the Okuama village of the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have arrived at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, for burial.

The remains of the military personnel gruesomely murdered by vicious residents of the riverine village when the men in uniform were on a peace mission to warring Okuama and Okoloba communities in the area will be interred with full military honour.

Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Uba Sani (Kaduna) and Abba Yusuf (Kano) are seated at the burial site.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu will be at the solemn event in “honour of our men of gallantry and valor” who paid the supreme price.

The slain military personnel responded to a distress call after a communal land dispute when they were gruesomely murdered.

Read Also: Delta Crisis: Tinubu confers national honours on slain army personnel

The beheaded corpses of the slain soldiers were later recovered from a neighbouring river, while the stomachs and hearts of others were ripped off.

The Defence Headquarters later released the list of 17 military personnel killed in the attack.

The Defence Headquarters said 17 personnel including the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 12 personnel of the battalion were killed.

The gruesome murder has continued to draw condemnation from authorities in Nigeria. Tinubu 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.

The Senate, host Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, as well as civil society organisations have condemned the gruesome murder of the soldiers and called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

More to follow…

Channels TV