Tears, Pain as Nigeria Military Buries 22 Officers Killed in Niger State

• The burial ceremony of some Nigeria military personnel killed in combat in Niger State holds at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja
• The military personnel died during combat and in an MI-171 helicopter crash on a casualty evacuation mission
• Minister of Defence Muhammed Badaru and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle were present at the burial ceremony

FCT, Abuja - It was a scene of uncontrollable tears and pain as family members and friends gathered at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja to bury some Nigerian military personnel who died in combat in Niger State.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) earlier announced that no fewer than 36 officers were killed in battle, including an air mission, on August 14.

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Nigerian military buries 22 officers killed in Niger

According to Channels TV, some deceased officers had already been buried by their families.

The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba were present at the ceremony.

Others are Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and other service chiefs.

The Nigerian Army, on its official Twitter page @HQNigerianArmy, shared a poster of the programme of events at the burial.

“36 military officers killed in Niger,” Defence HQ opens up

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Defence Headquarters on Thursday, August 17, disclosed that 36 officers were killed in Niger state.

Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, made this disclosure while providing an update on the casualties in the ambush of troops in the northcentral state on Monday, August 14, 2023.

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It would be recalled that an evacuation helicopter also crashed the same day.

Pilot of crashed Air Force jet laid to rest

The remains of Flight Lieutenant Ibrahim Adamu Abubakar, the Nigerian Air Force pilot who crashed inside the MI-171 jet in Niger State, have been laid to rest.

The deceased was buried in Zaria, Kaduna, in Islamic rites conducted at the Haruna Danja Jumma’at mosque by the Chief Imam, Sheikh Muhammad Sani Gumi.

Nigerians pay touching tributes to slain major

Bandits recently ambushed and killed many soldiers along the Zungeru-Tegina Road in Niger state, including Major Segun Oni, a top military officer.

Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed on Thursday, August 17, 2023, that 36 officers were killed.

He added that a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter on a mission to evacuate the deceased and wounded troops crashed at Chukuba in Shiroro local government area (LGA) of Niger.

Source: Legit.ng