The Senate has spoken out against the deaths of 16 Nigerian Army personnel by armed groups during a peace mission to the Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday.
The commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain, 12 soldiers, and one civilian were among those who died in the ambush on Thursday.
After the killings, the Joint Task Force, supervised by Major General Jamal Abdussalam, recovered mutilated bodies of the soldiers at the Okuama community.
Following the killing of the Army personnel, many residents of Okuama in the Ughelli South Local Government Area and Okolaba in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State fled the communities on Friday, as soldiers took control of the area.
In response to the killing, the Senate, through its spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said, “The Nigerian Senate has received with sadness the gruesome and unthinkable killings of 15 personnel of the Nigerian Army by armed groups during a peace mission to Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is a perfidious height of a barbaric and heinous crime.
“The Nigeria Armed Forces need our maximum cooperation, prayers, and support at this trying period in our nation, as they conduct operations all over the country to restore peace and stability in troubled locations.
“We salute the courage of the departed military men as they have paid the supreme price performing the ultimate act of service to the nation.”
Adaramodu added, “The Senate leadership and all Distinguished Senators of the 10th Senate condemn this attack and convey their deepest condolences to the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army, officers and men of Operation Delta Safe as well as the families of all the personnel who have lost their lives.
“We consequently support the President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s charge to the security authorities to smoke out the undesirable outlaws who put off the glowing lights of those promising officers and men.”
