President Bola Tinubu has conferred posthumous National Honours on the 17 Army personnel killed in Okuama community of Delta State during a peace mission about two weeks ago.
Tinubu, who described the four slain Army officers and 13 soldiers as “heroes”, insisted that their killers will not go scot-free as they will be tracked, apprehended and dealt with in order for the victims to eventually get justice.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Commanding Officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, three other senior officers and 14 soldiers were ambushed and killed by irate youths of Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, on March 14, 2024.
The slain Army officers and soldiers were Lt. Col. AH Ali (Commanding Officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion); Major SD Shafa; Major DE Obi; Capt. U Zakari, and Sgt. Yahaya Saidu.
Others included Cpl Yahaya Danbaba; Cpl Kabir Bashir; LCpl Bulus Haruna; LCpl Sole Opeyemi; LCpl Bello Anas; LCpl Hamman Peter; LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi; Pte Alhaji Isah; Pte Clement Francis; Pte Abubakar Ali; Pte Ibrahim Adamu, and Pte Adamu Ibrahim.
The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who spoke at the burial ceremony for the 17 Army personnel at the National Military Cemetery located on Airport Road in Abuja on Wednesday evening, also directed the provision of houses for the families of the fallen heroes in any part of the country by the Federal Government, including educational scholarships to their children and those yet unborn.
The late Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Major Ali and three other senior officers were posthumously honoured with Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) while the 13 soldiers were honoured with a Medal.
Tinubu also ordered the payment of the benefits of the slain soldiers to their families within 90 days.
