Senate, Service Chiefs Meet On Killing Of 17 Soldiers, Officers

The Senate has commenced investigation over the killing of 17 military personnel at Okuoma community in Delta State, an incident which has led to tension in the Niger Delta region.

The Senate Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force commenced the investigation with a closed-door meeting with the nation’s Service Chiefs.

The meeting which started at exactly 3:42pm had in attendance the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan, and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

The Senate had during plenary on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, mandated the joint committee to investigate the incident.

The upper chamber also urged the federal government to ensure that those responsible for the heinous crime are identified, apprehended and brought to justice.

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The Joint Committee is chaired by Senator Ahmad Lawan, who is also chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence.

Moments before the commencement of the meeting with the Service Chiefs, members of the Joint Committee observed a minute silence in honour of the 17 Military personnel killed in Okuama community last Thursday.

Speaking on the incident, Senator Lawan further underscored the need for the federal government to prioritise the issue of security, noting that it takes precedence over investment in any other sector.

He described the killing of the 16 soldiers as “barbaric”, and appealed to Nigerians to support the Armed Forces by volunteering information that would lead to the capture and prosecution of those behind various forms of insecurity across the country.

The former Senate President said, “We, in the Senate, and, indeed, the National Assembly, will always support our military in whatever way we can. [And] the National Assembly has that history. We try to at all times to make meaningful appropriation for resources to be available. We know it has never been enough and, in fact, I will take this opportunity to commend our Armed Forces for doing so much with the little we can afford.

“The insecurity in our country takes precedence over any other consideration and, therefore, it is the position of the Senate that no investment in any sector can be more important than ensuring that we are secured as a country.”

Lawan added that the parliamentarians were sad over this tragic incident and expressed hope that the culprits will be arrested and prosecuted.

He appeal to Nigerians to support Armed Forces by volunteering information “because this is the only way we can stop something like this from happening another time.”