Reps Urge Security Agencies to Investigate Killing of Military Personnel Across Nigeria

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives has mandated the security agencies to conduct a thorough and wholesome investigation into the circumstances that led to the killing of military personnel on peace missions across the country.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance on the need to stop the incessant and gruesome killing of military personnel on peace missions across the country, moved by Hon. Makki Yalleman at plenary on Wednesday.

Yalleman stated with deep sadness the needless murder of military personnel, who were often on peace missions across the country. He said this act of attacking and killing military personnel was often carried out through surprise attacks on military formations, including checkpoints and even those on routine patrols.

 According to him, “In the recent brutal attack on military personnel at a checkpoint at Obikabia Junction in Aba, Abia State, where five soldiers were horrendously murdered by suspected gunmen, the perpetrators of the act destroyed and burnt down the military vehicles at the checkpoint while some soldiers narrowly escaped with gunshot injuries.”

The lawmaker further stated that these military personnel were on a peace mission in their service to their fatherland and ensuring the security of lives and property in that area.

Yalleman stated that it was distressing that “this form of attack and killing of military personnel by gunmen in the South-east and other parts of Nigeria has a potential of dampening the morale of our armed forces, endangering the lives and property of Nigerians and affecting the war on insecurity, which has so far recorded some successes.”

He added that it could also lead to retaliatory attack by the military and cause huge collateral damage on the people.

The House, after observing a minute silence for the souls of the five military personnel killed in the horrendous incident, mandated its Committees on Defence to interface with the armed forces to ensure compliance and report to the House within four weeks.