Slain soldiers: Senate joint committee holds Closed-door meeting with Service Chiefs

 

 

 

Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja

 

The Senate Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Airforce is currently in a closed meeting with the nation’s Service Chiefs over the recent killing of troops in Okuoma community, Bomadi local government area of Delta State.

 

The meeting which started at exactly 3:42pm has 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.

 

Recall that the Senate, 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.

 

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 16 Military personnel killed in Okuoma community last Thursday.

 

Speaking on the incident, Senator Lawan in a speech delivered at the investigative hearing by the Joint Committee recalled that, “The troops of 181 Amphibious battalion, on Thursday, 14 March, 2024, went on a peace mission to Okuoma Community in Delta State. An incident occurred resulting in the loss of a Commanding officer, two Majors, a Captain and 12 Soldiers during the peace mission.

 

“The troops on the peace mission to Okuoma community in Bomadi local government area of Delta State were surrounded by some community youths, which resulted in the death of officers and men.

 

“Acknowledging the gravity of the attack on the military personnel, the Senate at its plenary on Tuesday, 19th March, 2024, mandated the Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Airforce to investigate the incident.

 

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

 

Senator Lawan further underscored the need for the federal government to prioritise the issue of security, noting that same 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 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.

 

“We, therefore, are very sad as a parliament over this tragic incident. It is our hope in the Senate that those who perpetrated this barbaric and horrific act are captured and the law takes full course on them.

 

“I want to appeal to Nigerians that this is our Armed Forces and they cannot secure us without us as citizens playing our part. Therefore, every citizen is supposed to support our Armed Forces. And those in the area where this incident happened must volunteer information because this is the only way we can stop something like this from happening another time.”

 

 

However, Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has called for concerted efforts and support for the military and other security agencies to bring the killers of the 17 soldiers in Okuama community in Delta State to justice.

 

Governor Diri, who strongly condemned the killings, again expressed his deep condolences and that of the Bayelsa State Government to the families of the slain military personnel, the wider Armed Forces family and the Army in particular.

 

He stressed that no effort should be spared to bring the perpetrators to book.

 

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said in a press release on Wednesday that Governor Diri stated that Bayelsa State, being a proud host to the headquarters of the joint services Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), the Central Naval Command, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Mobility Command and the Nigerian Army 16 Brigade, was understandably outraged at the heinous attack on the military personnel that are cherished members of the communities they are located and the state.

 

He said the government would continue to support the military and other law enforcement institutions in their mission in the state.

 

The governor has consequently directed all the security commanders in the state as well as the coordinator of the Bayelsa Community Safety Corps, Brig-General Eric Angaye (rtd), to scale up surveillance and patrol of the state’s borders and the waterways.

 

According to him, “the killing of our soldiers is barbaric, satanic and outrightly criminal. And anyone involved should be seen and treated as a criminal under our laws.”

 

The governor urged people of the state, particularly residents of  Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, to remain calm as the government will ensure that law-abiding citizens were protected and safe at all times.