"Premeditated": Atiku Reacts as Scores of Nigerian Soldiers Are Killed in Delta Attack

• Atiku Abubakar has said there can never be a justification for "a premeditated killing of soldiers on a legitimate assignment"
• In a statement sighted by Legit.ng, Atiku grieved over the loss of the Nigerian soldiers who were murdered by some attackers in Ughelli, Delta state
• The presidential hopeful called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism.

Ughelli, Delta state - Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 and 2023 elections has said the killing of many Nigerian soldiers in Okuama in Ughelli South and Okolaba in Bomadi local government areas (LGAs) of Delta state "stands condemned".

Atiku, in a statement he signed on Sunday, March 17, asserted that "there can never be a justification for a premeditated killing of soldiers on a legitimate assignment".

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According to the PDP chieftain, the culprits must be arrested and prosecuted.

The former vice president said:

"The brutal killing of over a dozen Nigerian soldiers in Okuama in the Ughelli South local government area and Okolaba in the Bomadi local government area of Delta state stands condemned. There can never be a justification for a premeditated killing of soldiers on a legitimate assignment.

"Even as we grieve the loss of these soldiers, who are not only Nigerians but have families and dependants, I urge restraints by the military authorities in its response.

"I would recommend that the culprits be arrested and prosecuted."

Legit.ng reports that the killing and the subsequent razing of residents' homes have become trending topics on social media platforms in Nigeria.

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"Barbaric": Peter Obi reacts as scores of Nigerian soldiers are killed in Delta attack

Read more Delta state news:

• Nigerian Army says IPOB/ESN facility dismantled in Delta, suspects detained, photos emerge
• "EndSARS": Protest rocks Ughelli, Delta state, photo, videos emerge
• Delta chief in trouble as DSS raids home recover AK-47, others

Delta mayhem: Obi laments killing of soldiers

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during the 2023 election, described the killing as “barbaric”.

Obi, in a social media post, said the murder of the security agents who were on a peace mission “should not be tolerated by Nigerians and any sane society”.

The former Anambra state governor stated that such killing continues to “fuel very deep concerns over the security of the nation”.

Source: Legit.ng