METELE: Reps demand names of massacred soldiers

Worried by the killing of several soldiers during a recent attack by Boko Haram in Metele, Borno State, the House of Representatives has set up an ad-hoc committee to probe the $1 billion appropriated for procurement of arms and equipment in the fight against terrorists in the North East.

The lawmakers, who arrived at this resolution during its Tuesday sitting, also called on the Nigerian Army to, after due consultations with families of soldiers killed, release all their names.

This came following a motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyema (PDP-Anambra), at the plenary presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

He had in his motion that many Nigerian soldiers of the 157 battalion were massacred by a faction of Boko Haram insurgents known as Islamic State West Africa in Metele in Borno State.

Onyema noted that initial figures of the casualty put the death toll at 44 but as more details emerged, it has been confirmed that many more soldiers and officers were killed together with their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Sakaba, while others are still missing.

He said, “The House notes that according to reports, the insurgents carted away large consignment of weapons from the Metele army base which security experts say would embolden them and pose great danger.

“The House observed that while the news of the attack and death toll continued to increase, neither the President nor the Minister of Defense or the army authorities said anything about the report as there was silence for more than five days.

“The House notes that the President and C-In-C finally broke his silence six days after the attack in a statement issued on his behalf.”

The PDP lawmaker regretted that no fewer than 600 Nigerian soldiers were killed by insurgents in the last one year mostly in Borno State around the fringes of the Lake Chad.

“The House recalls that twice in three years, the Commander-In-Chief gave directives to service chiefs to permanently relocate to the Theatre Command Centre in Maiduguri until Boko Haram is defeated,” he said.

According to him, it is demoralizing that with the recent happenings in the North, all the successes and gains made against the insurgents had been reversed.

Aminu Shagari (PDP-Sokoto), in his contribution, described the attack as sad, wondering how the recently appropriated money was used.

READ ALSO: ‘I’m a hunter’, I can finish those B’Haram ‘idiots’ in Sambisa, Hon Kazaure boasts (Video)

Beni Lar (PDP-Plateau) called for the sack of the service chiefs.

Meanwhile, Idris Ease (APC-Plateau) called on the House to treat the matter dispassionately and not to be affected by political sentiment.

After deliberation on the motion, Dogara said the development is an eye opener, adding that it was time the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal government began to take responsibility and stop looking for who to blame.

The motion was subsequently put to a voice vote by the speaker and the lawmakers unanimously adopted it.

Consequently, an ad hoc committee was set up with a mandate to investigate all funds appropriated for utilisation by the Armed Forces for the fight against insurgency as well as to look into the operational lapses that led to the killings of the soldiers.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now