The Senate Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Force convened a closed-door session with the nation’s Service Chiefs to address the recent assault on troops in the Okuoma community of Bomadi local government area, Delta State.
The meeting began precisely at 3:42 pm and included the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan; and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
The Senate had instructed this joint committee during a plenary session on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, to investigate the incident.
Additionally, the Senate urged the federal government to ensure that those responsible for the terrible crime are found, arrested, and brought to justice.
Senator Ahmad Lawan chairs the Joint Committee and also heads the Senate Committee on Defence.
Before the meeting with the Service Chiefs began, the committee members observed a minute of silence to honor the 16 military personnel who lost their lives in Okuoma community last Thursday.
During the investigative hearing, Senator Lawan recalled the tragic incident, stating that on Thursday, March 14, 2024, troops from the 181 Amphibious battalion went on a peace mission to Okuoma Community in Delta State.
Unfortunately, during the peace mission, an incident occurred, leading to the loss of a Commanding officer, two Majors, a Captain, and 12 Soldiers.
The troops were surrounded by some community youths, resulting in the death of these officers and soldiers.
Senator Lawan emphasized the seriousness of the attack on the military personnel and reiterated the Senate’s call for an investigation. He also stressed the importance of the federal government prioritizing security above all other sectors.
He described the killing of the 16 soldiers as “barbaric” and urged Nigerians to assist the Armed Forces by providing information that could help capture and prosecute those responsible for various forms of insecurity across the country.
Senator Lawan praised the efforts of the Armed Forces and acknowledged that although resources allocated to them may not always be sufficient, they still do their best.
He expressed sadness over the tragic incident and hoped that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“We, therefore, are very sad as a parliament over this tragic incident. It is our hope in the Senate that those who perpetrated this barbaric and horrific act are captured and the law takes full course on them”.
He appealed to all Nigerians to support the Armed Forces and encouraged citizens, especially those in the area where the incident occurred, to provide information to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“I want to appeal to Nigerians that this is our Armed Forces and they cannot secure us without us as citizens playing our part. Therefore, every citizen is supposed to support our Armed Forces. And those in the area where this incident happened must volunteer information because this is the only way we can stop something like this from happening another time.”
