The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has stated that the sacrifice of 17 military personnel murdered in the Okuama community of Delta State will not be in vain.
The CDS assured the bereaved relatives of the dead soldiers during their burial at the Military Cemetery in Abuja on Wednesday.
The military personnel were gruesomely murdered while responding to a distress call after a communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities, both in Delta State.
In his address at the burial ceremony, the CDS said, “To our fallen heroes, we say, ‘thank you’, thank you for our unwavering commitment to duty, your sacrifices and your love for our nation. You served bravely and your courage will never be forgotten.
“We will honour your memory by continuing to fight those who seek to undermine our peace and security. We will remain steadfast in our resolve to build a nation worthy of you sacrifice. This sacrifice will not go in vain.
“The loss we feel today is immeasurable but we must not allow it to deem the lights of our renewed hope within us, instead, let us use this moment as a rallying cry to come together as a nation to support our Armed Forces and to work tirelessly towards a Nigeria free of the grip of violence and insecurity.
“We owe it to these fallen heroes to honour their memory by redoubling our efforts to create a safer and more prosperous nation for all.”
‘We Will Hunt You Down’
General Musa also vowed that the military will hunt down the perpetrators of the heinous act and bring them to justice.
“To the perpetrators of this violence, who seek to sow divisions among our people, take this from me – our resolve will not wither, we will hunt you down, we will bring you to justice and we will restore peace and security in every nook and cranny of our dear nation.
“Your evil actions may cause pain and suffering but they will never extinguish the spirit of unity and resilience that burns within us,” the CDS said.
President Bola Tinubu, who was also at the burial, awarded posthumous national honours on the 17 military personnel.
He further announced scholarships, house gifts for the children and families of the slain soldiers.
Also in attendance at the burial ceremony were Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, governors, lawmakers, among other dignitaries.