For the 17 troops who died last week while on a peacekeeping operation in Delta State, President Bola Tinubu has approved what he called a fitting funeral.
This came up when he approved the posthumous national honors to be given to the fallen soldiers.
Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Advisor on Media and Publicity, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement claims that the President made the announcement with Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other House officials during their break from Ramadan.
The President promised that the sacrifices made by the slain heroes will never be in vain, as he offered his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.
He declared that the officers will receive national honors and an honorable funeral.
”In responding to distress calls, they met the end of their lives in a dreadful manner. Let us work to sympathise and symbolise the fact that they are worth the sacrifices they have made for Nigeria.
”We salute all force personnels in uniform, and we sympathise with them. I will soon make further pronouncements, but they must have a befitting burial and national honours,” the President said.
On Thursday, while responding to fighting between two communities in the South-South state of Delta, no less than sixteen Nigerian soldiers lost their lives.
16 military troops were killed in the Okuama community of the Ughelli South Local Government Area in Delta State, according to Major General Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd.).
He said that the community’s citizens had ambushed unsuspecting soldiers.
The Nigerian Army stated on Monday in response to the heinous incident that the Okuama community in Delta State’s Ughelli South Local Government Area, where military personnel were killed, has turned to propaganda.
It denied any kind of backlash against the community, despite information obtained by The PUNCH indicating the arrest of over 20 people.
Moreover, the names of the Army members who died on Thursday on a peacekeeping mission were made public by the Defense Headquarters on Monday.
Defence Headquarters declared there would be harmful consequences, while the military blasted the community and emphasised that no amount of propaganda would stop offenders from being apprehended.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas urged national unity and support for President Tinubu during his address, highlighting the significance of forgiveness, kindness, and prayer during Ramadan.
”I want to urge us to use this month to increase our good deeds and minimise our bad deeds,” he said.
Reflecting on the 10 months of this administration, the Speaker noted that the executive and the legislature have continued to work in synergy for the progress of the country.
”So far, so good, the House has been very supportive of the President and his policies, and we shall continue to ensure that we work together,” the Speaker said.
