Following the tragic killing of seventeen military personnel in Okuama, a community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State last week, the Senate Committee on Defence has said that securing Nigeria takes precedence over any other consideration.
Chairman of the Committee and former Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, stated this on Wednesday during an investigative hearing on the May 14 incident. The hearing which held behind closed doors in Abuja had in attendance the 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. However, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, was represented.
After the hearing, the upper chamber pledged its support for the military in tackling the security challenges confronting the nation.
“We, in the Senate, and, indeed, the National Assembly, will always support our military in whatever way we can. [And] the National Assembly has that history. We try to at all times make meaningful appropriation for resources to be available. We know it has never been enough and I will take this opportunity to commend our Armed Forces for doing so much with the little we can afford,” Lawan was quoted in a statement by his spokesman, Ezrel Tabiowo.
He also called on the Delta community to avail security of information that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the act.
“The insecurity in our country takes precedence over any other consideration and, therefore, it is the position of the Senate that no investment in any sector can be more important than ensuring that we are secured as a country. 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.
“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.”
Worried by possible fear of reprisal by the military, coupled with the mounting tension since the gruesome killing, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, had on the same day met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Oborevwori says military authorities have assured him of the safety of residents of the community.
“I decided to come here to brief Mr President of all the things we have been doing to maintain peace. Mr President has assured me that he is in support of peace and we both condemn the killing of the officers and the soldiers because they were there on a peace mission,” he said after the meeting.
What is happening now is something that we did not bargain for. But we want to assure everybody that there will be no more attacks on the villages. “If there’s anyone that has happened in the past, there will be no attack. But we know that those who are culpable will be brought a book, but innocent citizens will not be attacked.”
