- Slain officers joined military in 2017
- Buratai warns TY Danjuma over incitement
The Nigerian Army yesterday in Kaduna buried the remains of the 11 soldiers killed by bandits at Kompanin Doka village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Speaking at the Commonwealth Cemetery, where the burial took place, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the death was very unfortunate as the soldiers were yet to meet their families to show them their military uniforms before they were cut down by bandits.
He, however, promised that the Army would not relent in its efforts to fish out the bandits and bring them to justice. Buratai, who spoke through the GOC, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Muhammad Muhammad, warned individuals and groups against making statements portraying the Armed Forces as a biased and sectional institution.
Buratai’s warning came on the heels of comments made by former Minister of Defence, Lt-Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd) that the soldiers were providing cover for killers in country. He regretted that the deceased soldiers were between the ages of 19 and 23 and joined the Army barely a year ago, “full of life and ready to serve the country.”
The slain soldiers were part of the special security operation code-named: ‘Ayem Akpatuma’ and deployed in the Birnin Gwari area to check the activities of armed robbers, kidnappers and cattle rustlers terrorising the area. They were killed by the bandits who were said to have invaded the soldiers’ camp on March 20 between 8p.m. and 9p.m. The COAS said: “This is a solemn occasion not much speech would be made.
Like Muslims say, from God we came and to Him we shall return. “If we shed tears today, it is because we hold these gentlemen in high esteem. “They told their relations that they had joined the Nigerian Army. Most of them were yet to go back to their relations to show them the uniforms they were given in the Army.
“That is the sad thing about this occasion. Now they have paid the supreme sacrifice to defend the territorial integrity of this country. “They shed their blood in the community of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.” The soldiers were accorded full military honours before their final interment. The slain soldiers were Ahmed Olabode, Bamidele Adekunle, Christian Ogochukwu, Adamu Mohammed and Lamara Ahmed.
Others were Suleiman Mubarak, Bashir Sani, Usman Abubakar, Nafiu Iliyasu, Safiyanu Ahmed and Alhassan Ibrahim. However, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, donated N500,000 each to the families of the deceased during the burial. Presenting a cheque of N5.5 million to the GOC, el-Rufai described the killings as tragic and sad. The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government (SSG), Balarabe Abbas, said government was pained by the incident.
He said: “It is with heavy heart and regrets that I stand in your midst to express our heartfelt condolences to the families of 11 soldiers who lost their lives in action at Kompani Doka in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. “These soldiers were part of the operation Ayem Akpatuma which commenced on February 5, 2018 to combat the security situation in Kamuku forest and its environs as well as curtail the activities of kidnappers and other criminal elements on major highways in Kaduna State.” Danjuma had, during the maiden convocation of Taraba State University, Jalingo, urged the public to adopt self-defence measures against their attackers.
T he former COAS had predicated his call on the belief that the militia men were being aided by Armed Forces to perpetrate what he considered an “ethnic-cleansing” agenda. He said: “There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the state and of course, some rural states in Nigeria. We must resist it. We must stop it.
Every one of us must rise up. “Our Armed Forces are not neutral. They collude with the bandits to kill people, kill Nigerians. The Armed Forces guide their movements; they cover them. If you are depending on the Armed Forces to stop the killings, you will all die one by one.
“This ethnic cleansing must stop in Taraba State and other rural states of Nigeria otherwise Somalia will be a child’s play. “I ask every one of you to be alert and defend your country, defend your territory and defend your state. Defend yourselves because you have no other place to go. God bless our country.” But Buratai, who did not address Danjuma directly, charged the public to be circumspect and avoid making “general” statements. Buratai wondered why troops, many of whom had paid the supreme price, would collude with bandits. The COAS also spoke about the circumstances of the 11 soldiers’ killing.
He said: “How then can we tell them that they are aiding those who killed them, that today they have paid with their lives to aid those who killed them? “If we are responsible enough to make a statement, we should not generalise.” The Army Chief, vowed to bring the soldiers’ killers to deserved justice. He added: “The soldiers were trained for about six months and were taken for further training to add value to them, only to cut short the dreams they have for this country, to defend with their blood. “We are assuring all those who are behind the killings, that we will not relent in our efforts to ensure that we mete out whatever they deserved.
“Their blood will not shed in vain; we, their colleagues who are still alive will continue where they stopped; their memory will still be with us. “If we found ourselves today as first respondents, we will not shy away from it. We will continue to do our duties diligently regardless of any shortcomings, regardless of issues like this…”