By Mercy Aikoye
The House of Representatives on Wednesday, June 5, asked security agencies in the country to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading to the heartless, gruesome and despicable murder of soldiers by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Makki Yalleman, the House asked its committees on Defence to interface with the Armed Forces to ensure a comprehensive investigation to fish out those responsible for the act.
Yalleman lamented the needless and gruesome murder of the military personnel who were on peace missions, adding that the act has become a recurring decimal across the country.
ing to him, this act of attacking and killing military personnel is often carried out through surprise attacks on military formations including checkpoints and even those on routine patrols.
He expressed sadness about 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, adding that perpetrators of the act destroyed and burnt down the military vehicles at the checkpoint while some soldier narrowly escaped with gunshot injuries.
He said the military personnel were on a peace mission in their service to their fatherland and ensuring the security of lives and property in that area.
He added that the form of attack and killing of military personnel by gunmen in the South East and other parts of Nigeria has the potential to dampen the morale of our armed forces, endangering the lives and property of Nigerians and affecting the insecurity war which has so far recorded some successes.
He said this could also lead to a retaliatory attack by the military and cause huge collateral damage to the people.
In his contribution, chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson said the attacks on military and security formations are provocative to the Armed Forces, describing them as one of the most priced assets that sacrificed so much in defence of the country.
He, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for his quick intervention in demanding that those responsible be fished out and brought to justice.
