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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on Monday, apologized to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff and other Nigerians for the unwarranted killing of an army officer, late captain Adeolu Adedayo and eleven other soldiers by militiamen popularly known as ‘Bonta Boys’ in Konshisha Local Government Area of the state.
Ortom, who tendered an unreserved apology on behalf of government and people of the state during the burial of the late solders at the military cemetery in Wurukum, Makurdi, the state capital, also appealed to the immediate families of the deceased soldiers to forgive him for his utterances and comments on the incident.
“If I said anything that was offensive to the families, I ask for their forgiveness. I earlier said only two soldiers were involved based on the information available to me at that time.”
I totally condemn the killing of the soldiers who were out to maintain peace. The attack was uncalled for and unwarranted. The slain soldiers were out to keep peace and got killed in the process otherwise, we all know what soldiers would ordinarily do in such a situation like that”, Ortom said.
He assured that his government would join hands with security agencies in the state to ensure that all those who were involved in the killing of the innocent soldiers are fished out and brought to book, saying that attack on security men is attack on all.
In their funeral oration, Chaplain of 72 Battalion, Major Ibrahim Mavisky and the Imam, Captain A A Bashir, all extolled the dexterity of the fallen heroes, saying they died while on a mission to provide peace.
The clergymen noted that there is time to be born and time to die saying, “we brought nothing to this world and we shall surely leave with nothing”, describing the fallen heroes as peace makers who went out not for evil but for peace and regrettably met their death in the process.
“These people died innocently and without any offense. It is the promise of God that each of us has a stipulated time to go. We will all go back to God someday and explain how we live our lives. God will console the entire Nigerian Army and the immediate families they left behind. The slain soldiers were out to serve the nation but we’re cut short. We therefore pray for their souls and that God should grant them eternal rest”.
The bodies of the officer and 11 soldiers were laid to rest amidst tears, in a solemn event attended by Governor Ortom of Benue State, Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke OPWS, Maj. Gen. Adeyemi Yekini, the Commanding Officer, 72 Battalion, military personnel as well as family members of the deceased soldiers.
It would be recalled that the military personnel including Capt. Adeolu Adedayo and 11 soldiers met their death while trying to clear illegal roadblocks tmounted by ‘Bonta Boys’ at Bonta vllage in Konshisha Local Government Area of the state on Easter Monday.
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