ABUBAKAR A. NUHU-KOKO
Abubakar A. Nuhu-Koko of the Sokoto Energy Research Center (Energy Commission of Nigeria), Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, is a researcher in petroleum policy and economics, and founder and pioneer executive director, The Shehu Shagari World Institute for Leadership and Good Governance, Sokoto, Nigeria. He can be reached on +234 706 330 6887 or aanuhukoko4000@gmail.com
The declaration of eight persons wanted by the Nigerian army authorities in connection with the killing of 17 Nigerian Army and six Nigeria Police Force personnel at Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, on March 14th 2024, appear to have brought the nation slowly to some form of recovery from its rather “I don’t care” lackadaisical attitude over the loss of our dear patriots whose precious lives were cowardly extinguished by some heartless criminal elements from within the local community.
The declaration had come soon after the national burial of the deceased at the Armed Forces Cemetery in Abuja (for the Nigerian Army personnel), on Wednesday 27th March 2024 with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in attendance physically where he read the eulogy, tribute and awarded posthumous national honours to the deceased among other well deserving supporting gestures. He vowed that nothing would be left undone to ensure that justice is done for the memories of the victims of the heinous murders.
One begins to wonder why there was no national outrage against this heinous crime against humanity and the nation when it occurred. For instance, only a few traditional public and private media establishments accorded the dastardly event prominence in their reportage, capturing it only by just mentioning it and not on front pages and or breaking news headlines.
No outrage poured in from the civil society, religious and political quarters, as well. All things considered, as if the sordid event did not matter as a national calamity of any consequence or significance deserving of soul searching, the wider Nigerian polity was rather seemingly unperturbed to the level where even the National Assembly did not find it necessary to honour and respect the deceased and or to honour them by at least issuing a written declaration of sympathy/solidarity/ condolences or condemnation of the heinous crime.
Nigerians with conscience need to send a clear message to any group in Nigeria that patriotic and law-abiding Nigerians will never forgive anyone or group under any guise of agitation if they kill or injure members of our patriotic armed forces, particularly while performing their lawful duties anywhere they find themselves in the country.
What happened to members of our Armed Forces and Police at Okuama is barbaric and an unacceptable national disgrace. It is awful and unpardonable, to put it mildly. The Nigerian security service establishments have come under a number of such unpatriotic premeditated credulity in the past. And, unfortunately, these barbaric attacks are on the rise instead of declining – all because no one or group has been held to account for these gruesome activities (killings, arson attacks, etc.) by these criminal outlaws.
However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must be highly commended for his courage, statesmanship, show of sincere concern and sorrow; his empathy, and the actions and measures he has taken on the matter since the message got to his knowledge and desk.
Similarly, the Nigerian Military authorities under the watch of the chief of defence staff (CDS), major general Christopher Gwabin Musa, deserves commendation for the matured and professional ways the military authorities handled the matter to date – using all the available lawful ways and means for finding the culprits and bringing them to the full wrath of the law. This time around all things considered, the Nigerian Military authorities are exercising the rule of law in dealing with these audacious crimes against humanity. This should be highly commended; especially looking back in our history of similar situations from years of military regimes in 1967 and from 1999 to date!
Lesson: All Nigerians must learn to honour and respect their fallen patriots (armed forces, Police and other security services) and stand by them in life and in death at all times.
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