Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, yesterday paid a condolence visit to the 144 Infantry Battalion Headquarters in Asa, Ukwa West local government area of Abia State sequel to the recent brutal murder of some soldiers in Aba.
In a statement by his chief press secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu declared that there was no justification for the mindless killing of military personnel on duty by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Kalu, who was accompanied by some members of the House and those of Peace In South East Project (PISE-P), condemned the act, backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directives to the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime and bring them to justice.
Pledging the Parliament’s commitment to enacting laws to improve the welfare of security personnel, he announced the setting up of a Fund to cater to the families of fallen security operatives across the South East region.
The deputy speaker in conjunction with PISE-P, made a donation of N10 million to assist the wives of the slain soldiers, saying at least each of them should get N2 million to start a business on the side and not for school fees since the governor has taken care of school fees.
Commending the military for maintaining peace in the region through non-kinetic means, Kalu regretted the recent move by some criminal elements to scuttle the gains so far recorded.
He appealed to the military to be soft on the people while combing the city and its envirous, pleading with them not to allow the innocent to suffer unduly.
Kalu who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State said he was pained by the sad development and could not have endured staying back in Abuja when he home State was going through a difficult time.
He said, “As the deputy speaker, I will not sit in Abuja very comfortably knowing that a uniformed man has gone down in my state, men on duty to save us have been gunned down; I cannot sit comfortably in Abuja. That was why I came to partner with you and to support these women.
“I came with this array of people from all parts of Nigeria, 31 of us from Abuja. That will tell you how much we value you and your work, how much we value these people we lost, and the women who are here.
In his response, the Brigade Commander of the 114 Battalion, Brigadier O. O Diya, who received the deputy speaker, said efforts are already ongoing to apprehend the killers.
“We can assure you, sir, that those that committed this will look for them. We will find them and smoke them out wherever they are.
“Efforts are already in place to ensure that we find them and make them pay for what they have done to make these women and their sons go through this pain, this irreparable pain. It’s very unfortunate.
“And I can assure you that Abia State will regain that prominence, that it has to be the safest state in the southeast. Please relax. Justice will be done, and we will ensure that justice is seen and this act will never happen again,” he said.
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