urges Service Chiefs to consider posthumous honours for the deceased

 By John Alechenu, Abuja 

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has enjoined Nigerians to set aside divisive tendencies and unite to defeat enemies of our nation. 

He said this in tribute to 17 officers and soldiers who died in active service in Delta State and were buried at the National Military Cemetery, in Abuja, yesterday. Ndume spoke in an interview on Thursday. 

The Senate Chief Whip urged Nigerians to take a cue from President Bola Tinubu’s patriotic act of giving due recognition to the officers and soldiers who paid the supreme price in the line of duty in Okuama community, Delta State, about two weeks ago.

While commending Tinubu for his actions, Ndume said, “I commend President Bola Tinubu for attending the funeral of the soldiers slain at Okuama and for awarding their children full scholarships, as well as presenting houses to their survivors. 

“Every Nigerian should commend this patriotic and respectful gesture. Nobody could deserve it more. Our Armed Forces are the guarantors of the Nigerian state and our last defence against the forces of disunity and impunity. 

“I hope we can put aside our political differences and stand together as one in honour of our fallen heroes. 

“The Chief of Defence Staff should also posthumously award the departed soldiers’ medals for bravery and courage under fire.”

President Tinubu had announced his administration’s decision to provide scholarships for wards of the deceased as well as housing for their immediate families while conferring them with posthumous National Honour Awards during the burial of the slain military personnel. 

The 17 officers were killed on March 17 while on a peace mission to Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Those who lost their lives include Lt. Col. A. Ali, commander of the team; Majors SD Shafa and DE Obi; and Captain U Zakari.

Others include Staff Sergeant Yahaya Saidu, Corporals Danbaba Yahaya and Kabir Bashir, and Lance Corporals Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, and Bello Anas.

Privates Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu were also among those murdered by yet-to-be-identified assailants. 

President Tinubu said that while the four officers were honoured with Member of the Order of Niger (MON), the 13 soldiers were awarded the Officer of the Federal Republic Medal.

He said, “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.”