The remains of the 17 military personnel killed in Okuoma, Delta State, have arrived at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
They arrived at about 2:40 pm on Wednesday in different ambulance vehicles.
NewsNGR reports how 17 fallen heroes attached to the 181 Amphibious Battalion including the commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain, and 13 soldiers were killed.
The troops, reportedly on a peace mission to quell the long communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta and Bayelsa states were gruesomely killed, and others had their vital organs severed.
The Nigerian authority, while responding to the incident, issued a directive to the military to bring the culprits to book, while vowing that there would be injurious consequences to the actions of the community.
Since the incident, the military is reported to have combed the warring communities and arrested an uncertain number of persons, including three prime suspects.
On Tuesday the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), noted that there was no justification for the gruesome killing of soldiers, calling for further analysis and conversation on the limits of aid to civil authority.
He said, “As we encourage non-kinetic operations and community engagements, are there limits? Is it an omnibus mandate? Should the military be first responders in situations such as the Okuama/Okoloba crisis? Are there red lines? The AFN must curtail the apparent descent to ‘see finish syndrome’.
“The integrity of the AFN, if at any time is impugned, will mean ominous signs for the nation. I, therefore, counsel that we remain on the path of professional excellence. This conference should examine the viable options in this regard,” Irabor.