- By Kamil Opeyemi
The Nigerian Army has on Monday revealed the identities of its men who were murdered in Okuoma community at the weekend.
NPO Reports that 12 soldiers, led by a commander, two Majors and Captain and others were murdered when youths of the community allegedly laid ambush for them while they were in a peace mission near the community.
The fallen heroes are:
LT COL AH ALI FSS psc MNIM CM
Commanding Officer
181 Amphibious Battalion Nigerian Army
Maj SD Shafa (N/13976)
Maj DE Obi (N/14395)
Capt U Zakari (N/16348)
93NA/36/12974 SSgt Yahaya Saidu
10NA/65/7274 Cpl Yahaya Danbaba
11NA/66/9853 Cpl Kabiru Bashir
16NA/75/5844 LCpl Burus Haruna
17NA/76/0719 LCpl Sole Opeyemi
17NA/76/290 LCpl Bello Annas
19NA/28/2655 LCpl Hamman Peter
18NA/77/1191 LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi
17NA/76/6079 Pte Alhaji Isah
19NA/78/0911 Pte Clement Francis
19NA/78/2162 Pte Abubakar Ali
19NA/78/6079 Pte Ibrahim Adamu
21NA/80/4795 Pte Adamu Ibrahim
They were said to be on a peaceful and mediatory mission, after a reported case of communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba Communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGAs of Delta State.
The Army while releasing the names and ranks of the killed soldiers simply wrote “Our Fallen Heroes “
The Army had in an earlier report, accused the community of engaging in propaganda rather than bring out those who killed the soldiers.
Army’s statement which was signed by Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said the “These were troops committed to peace and security of lives and property of citizens and non-citizens alike in the Niger Delta Region, murdered in cold blood by an armed youth gang of Okuama Community, in the most gruesome, heartless and cruel manner and went ahead to sacrilegiously debase their remains by ripping out their hearts by the very people they were there to protect.”