Killing Of Soldiers In Delta ‘Barbaric’ – Ohanaeze Ndigbo

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Tuesday, condemned the massacre of 16 military personnel who were killed last Thursday in the Okuama and Okoloba communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGAs of Delta State.

Describing the act as “brutal”, Ohanaeze recalled that on August 14, 2023, less than one year ago, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced that 36 officers were killed in Niger State in an ambush of troops by bandits.

The pan-Igbo group stated that, “There are other instances that casualties have been recorded by Nigerian security personnel in an effort to carry out their legitimate duties of protecting lives and property.”

Ohanaeze, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, stated that, “The incidents of incessant deadly attacks by the civilians on the military, which is the last line of defence, is a very worrisome paradox.”

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, in the statement, described as “barbaric the gruesome killings of innocent, faithful and gallant soldiers who were on call to duty”.

Iwuanyanwu commended President Bola Ahmed for his prompt reaction to the unfortunate incident and urged the Presidency to leave no stone unturned to fish out the “savage culprits to serve as a deterrent to many others”.

While commiserating with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja; the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the NA and the bereaved families of the fallen heroes, the Igbo leader advised the Nigerian Army and indeed Nigerian security operatives to maximise their skills to minimise or outright avoid casualties of the security operatives on duty.