President Bola Tinubu has given the Nigerian military “full authority” to bring those behind the Thursday killing of 12 soldiers and four army officers to justice.
Some youths on Thursday ambushed and killed 16 officers and men of the 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army on peace mission to Okuoma community in Bomadi local government area of Delta State.
Those killed were the commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers.
Tinubu, in a statement he personally issued on Sunday, vowed his government “will not relent until we achieve peace and tranquillity in every part of Nigeria.”
The ambushed troops were responding to a crisis between Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State when they were killed.
The soldiers are believed to have been killed in Okuama community where many houses were razed Sunday morning. It is not yet clear if it was soldiers on a revenge mission who razed houses in the community but most residents are believed to have fled to a neighbouring community before the houses were razed.
President Tinubu, on Sunday, commiserated with the armed forces over the death of the soldiers.
He expressed his “profound grief over the needless death of our gallant soldiers.”
“The Defence Headquarters and Chief of Defence Staff have been granted full authority to bring to justice anybody found to have been responsible for this unconscionable crime against the Nigerian people,” the president wrote.
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