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Protocols
Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and other Service Chiefs, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff, and other military officers.
It is with heavy heart that I join you today to commit to earth, the remains of our officers and men who died in the course of duty on 14 March 2024 in Okuama Community, Delta State.
The officers and soldiers who lost their lives that day were patriots, brave, and noble men who gave their lives to defend and protect our nation against internal and external threats. Their sacrifice will be remembered and honoured for generations to come and their.
On 14 March, Lt. Colonel A. H. Ali, the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion, led three other officers and 13 soldiers to the Okuama Community to mediate in the lingering dispute with Okoloba Community.
They went as peace makers and peace keepers respectfully seeking to bring an end to the hostilities between the two communities.
They didn’t go with tanks, machine guns, and other weapons.
They were on a mission of peace.
Before the dastardly attack, Lt. Colonel Ali, as the Chief of Army Staff, briefed me, enjoyed great operational exploits; fighting terrorists and insurgents in the North East and North West before his deployment to the Niger Delta
Ali kept faith with his military calling till the end.
On behalf of a grateful nation, we honour the sacrifice of Ali and the other gallant patriots who died that day. They will forever be remembered as heroes who answered the call of duty and paid the ultimate price.
Lieutenant Colonel Ali,
Major D.E. Obi,
Major S.D. Ashafa,
Captain U. Zakari,
Staff Sergeant Yahaya Saidu,
Corporal Danbaba Yahaya,
Corporal Kabir Bashir,
Lance Corporal Abdullahi Ibrahim,
Lance Corporal Bulus Haruna,
Lance Corporal Sole Opeyemi,
Lance Corporal Bello Anas;
Private Alhaji Isah,
Private Clement Francis,
Private Abubakar Ali,
Private Adamu Ibrahim,
Private Hamman Peter, and
Private Ibrahim Adamu,
Each man now belongs to the hallowed list of servicemen and women who defended our country and protected their fellow Nigerians, not minding the risk to their own lives.
They have all been awarded posthumous national honours. The four gallant officers have been accorded the Award of Member of the Order of Niger (MON). The thirteen courageous soldiers who also lost their lives have awarded the Officer of the Federal Republic Medal.
I commiserate with the families of our fallen heroes and the entire Armed Forces. I share in the pain and grief you carry today. It is my prayer that God will comfort all who are bereaved as a result of this tragedy.
It is worth restating the debt of gratitude we owe these valiant soldiers and their families.
As Commander-In-Chief, I do not take the contributions of members of our Armed Forces for granted. I recognise your valour and bravery. I honour your unflinching commitment to making our country safe from criminals, bandits, kidnappers, and insurrectionists.
While we continue to grieve for the courageous men we lost that day, let us also, on this solemn occasion, be reminded of the unfinished business of working for peace and harmony in our communities.
We must begin to rebuild our communities and make them into places where love, tolerance, and harmony will reign. Leaders at all levels, especially community leaders and traditional rulers, must work to strengthen the bonds that unite us. We must end the cycle of violence and bloodletting.
I want to make it clear, once more, that those who committed this heinous crime will not go unpunished. We will find them, and our departed heroes will get justice.
The elders and chiefs of Okuoma also have a duty to help the military in fishing out the gunmen who committed the barbaric crime against our men.
