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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared eight persons wanted over the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community, in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.
The 17 soldiers were killed on March 14 during a peace operation in the community.
The Director of Defence Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, disclosed the names of the wanted persons during the bi-weekly update on military operations across the country, on Thursday.
Among those declared wanted are Ekpekpo Arthur, a professor of physics at Delta State University; Akeywiru Omotegbono, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi (lady), Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu and the military high command had promised that the perpetrators of the dastardly act would be brought to justice.
On Wednesday, the soldiers were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja and were posthumously conferred with national honours by Tinubu.
The president also offered scholarships to children of the late officers.
Speaking during the burial ceremony, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.
The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of searching to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.
He added that the Nigerian Army exercised “a lot of restraint” in the search for missing arms and body parts of the deceased soldiers.
The army chief also said some of the widows of the slain officers are pregnant.
“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army, and by extension, the Nigerian state. Ten widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, which include parents,” Lagbaja said.
The deceased soldiers are A.H Ali, D.E Obi, S.D. Ashafa, U. Zakari, Yahaya Saidu, Danbaba Yahaya, Kabir Bashir, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, Bello Anas, Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu.