Senate fails to observe one-minute silence for soldiers killed in Delta, calls for probe

The senate on Tuesday failed to observe a one-minute silence in honour of  17 soldiers killed in Delta state while on a peace mission.

Last Thursday, 17 soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, two majors and a captain were killed on Thursday in Okuama, Bomadi LGA of Delta state.

The soldiers were responding to a distress call after a communal clash broke out between the Okuama and Okoloba communities.

President Bola Tinubu had vowed that those who were responsible for the killing of the soldiers would not go unpunished.

During the plenary session, the upper legislative chamber asked the committees on the army, defence, air force and navy to investigate the killing of the military personnel.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion raised by Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Katsina.

While moving the motion, Yar’Adua said those culpable should be “brought to face the full consequences of their action through a fair and transparent legal process”.

He said the incident “highlights a serious threat to national security and stability of the nation”.

“The tragic incidence underscores the urgent need for justice and accountability without resorting to retribution,” Yar’Adua said.

Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, said the killing of the soldiers is inhuman and unacceptable.

“We need to commiserate with the Nigerian Armed Forces and indeed the entire nation, and the immediate families of the fallen heroes and the Nigerian military for what happened,” he said.

“It should be condemned. What happened is inhuman and no stone should be left in trying to find out the culprits who are responsible, and they must face justice. This should never happen again in this country.”

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said that the attack on the military personnel “portends danger for the entire society”.

“Every single culprit involved must be brought out to face the full wrath of the law. This is not acceptable in any sane society in the world,” he said.

Similarly, the house of representatives has condemned the killing of the soldiers.

The house issued the condemnation of the attack on the soldiers after a motion sponsored by Babajimi Benson from Lagos.

The green chamber asked armed forces to “conduct a thorough and wholesome investigation into the circumstances that led to this heartless, gruesome and despicable act and work with the relevant authorities to bring all perpetrators and their collaborators to book”.