Live Updates: Grief as 17 Soldiers Killed in Delta Set For Burial, Tinubu in Move
The graves are set for the burial of the 17 soldiers gruesomely killed in the Okuama community in the Ughelli local government area of Delta state on Thursday, March 14.
President Bola Tinubu is expected at the burial of the senior military officers, which will be held at the army cemetery in Abuja, the Nigeria capital, on Wednesday, March 27.
Tinubu, governors lay wreath at the ceremony
After the presentation of national flags and the laying of the senior officers' bodies in their graves, President Tinubu was called to lay wreaths for the deceased.
Following President Tinubu were the governors on the ground, including Governors of Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Kano and Kogi.
The ministers, service chiefs and the next of kin were also called to lay the wreaths at the grave sides of the deceased.
Tinubu sends message to community leaders
President Bola Tinubu said that community leaders have the duty of helping the military to fish out the perpetrators.
He urged the military to ensure that innocent people did not become the victims of the crimes.
List of Rewards Tinubu offers slain officers, soldiers
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says the Federal Government will provide housing to each of the families of the fallen heroes anywhere they choose within the country.
The Federal Government also awarded the children of the fallen heroes full educational scholarships to the University level, including the ones still in the womb of their mothers.
FG also appeals to the Military Pensions Board that all their emoluments must be paid within 90days
National Honours Tinubu confers on soldiers
National Honour was pronounced by the Mr President in his speech.
All 4 officers bagged MON and 13 Soldiers bags OFR national honours for their gallant service
What a moment for our troops.
Chief of Defence Staff Speech
General C.G Musa, the chief of Defence Staff, described the deceased as the vanguard of peace.
He said: "We will honour your memory by continuing to fight against those who move to undermine our security."
He thanks the operatives of the forces serving Nigeria in the military.
"We will hunt you down and bring you to justice." The chief of defence staff vowed to see the end of the killers of the 17 soldiers.
Chief of Army Staff's Speech
Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoheed Lagbaja, delivered his speech at the burial ceremony.
He said his men are aware that their job deals with the matter of life and death. We celebrate soldiers who died at the hands of the enemies of the state.
Lagbaja lamented that it is demoralising that the people soldiers are protecting are the ones killing the soldiers.
He maintained that the situation was barbaric.
The soldiers left 10 widows; three of them are pregnant and a number of orphans.
The deceased get a minute silence
The soldiers and dignitaries, including President Bol Tinubu, offered a minute silence to the departed souls.
The venue was silence.
Slain soldiers buried with military paraphernalia
Military paraphernalia are laid on the caskets of the slain 17 soldiers as the Muslim cleric says some prayers.
This is as their bodies were laid on their grave to be placed in it soon.
See the video here:
Bodies of slain soldiers retrieved from Ambulances
The bodies of the slain soldiers have been retrieved from the ambulances, and a military parade is going on.
President Tinubu has his seat at a close view of the event.
Ambulances conveying soldiers remains arrive for burial
Ambulances conveying the bodies of the 17 slain soldiers arrive at the Military Cemetary in Abuja.
They will be buried once they have been retrieved from the ambulances for the commencement of the solemn event.
Governors present at army cemetary
The governors of Kano, Kogi, and Delta were spotted at the burial of the slain soldiers.
Recall that the soldiers were killed in the Okuama community in Delta state.
See their video here:
Akpabio, Abbas attend burial of slain soldiers
The president of the Nigerian senate, Godswill Akpabio, was present at the burial ceremony of the slain military personnel.
Also present is the speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
Tinubu arrives at the burial ceremony
President Bola Tinubu has arrived at the burial ceremony of the 17 soldiers killed in the Okuama community in Delta state.
The president arrived at exactly 4: 20. The National Anthem followed after that.
Bodies of 17 soldiers killed soldiers arrived Abuja cementary
The remains of 17 military personnel comprising four officers and 13 soldiers gruesomely murdered by some irate youths in the Okuama community in Delta State during a peace mission on March 14, 2024, have arrived at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, for burial on Wednesday.
The bodies, which arrived at about 2:30pm, were conveyed by the FCT Ambulance Emergency Services and other vehicles.
