The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, directed the high commands of the Nigerian military to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the circumstances surrounding the brutal and senseless killing of 17 soldiers around the bank of Okuama community in Delta State.
The Green Chamber also gave nod to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to displaced residents of the community following the incident.
But the member representing Ughelli South, Ughelli North and Udu Federal Constituency, Hon. Francis Waive, condemned the barbaric killing of the soldiers, but added that the military must adhere to international rules of engagement while fishing out those behind the killings.
Waive, who is representing the community where the military personnel were murdered by unknown armed youths, demanded for an immediate stop to the reprisal attack and burning of houses in the community.
Recall that unknown gunmen last Thursday ambushed and murdered 17 military personnel including a lieutenant colonel, two majors and one captain who were said to be on peace mission to Okuama community in Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom of Ughelli South LGA.
The House in a resolution during Tuesday plenary urged the military to work with the relevant authorities to bring all perpetrators and their collaborators to book.
It further mandated its Committees on Defence to interface with the Armed Forces of Nigeria to ensure compliance and report to the House within four weeks.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday mandated the Armed Forces of Nigeria to conduct a thorough and wholesome investigation into the circumstances that led to the heartless, gruesome and despicable killings of Soldiers in Delta state.
The resolutions were sequel to a motion of urgent national importance titled – “Need to investigate and apprehend perpetrators of the gruesome killing of seventeen military personnel in delta state by Hon Babajimi Benson during plenary in Abuja.
Moving the motion, Benson noted with deep sadness, the needless and gruesome murder of seventeen military personnel in Delta state on Thursday 14 March 2024.
Benson also noted that the murdered military personnel comprising of Lt. Col. A.H. Ali who was the Commanding Officer, 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Major S.D Shafa, Major D.E Obi, Captain U. Zakari and thirteen other rank and file of the Nigerian military.
He further noted that the fallen soldiers were on a peaceful and mediatory mission to quell communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba Communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGAs of Delta State respectively when the horrific incident occurred.
He said that the perpetrators of the heinous act did not only stop at killing the military personnel but also went ahead to sacrilegiously debase their remains by ripping out their hearts and other body parts.
“Worried that unless checked and stopped, acts like this, by the very people the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) are meant to protect, have a potential of demoralising the military and affecting the war on insecurity which has so far recorded some successes”, he added.
Speaking also on the motion Hon Francis Waive said “In as much as we condemn this act carried out in this community we call on the military in the mist if this provocation, we appeal to our military to observe some level of international engagement and put an end to the burning of the community.”
The House to this end observed a minute silence in honour of the murdered military personnel and called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to those affected in the community.
