Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, has given scholarships to the children of the 17 soldiers killed on a peace mission in Delta State.
The soldiers were killed on March 14, in Okuama community of the state.
The slained military men include: 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 Adalaw.
However, the federal government and Delta State vowed that the perpetrators of the act would not go unpunished.
Speaking on Wednesday at the burial ceremony of the officers at the military cemetery in Abuja, Tinubu also awarded posthumous national honours to the deceased soldiers.
He conferred Members of the Order of Niger (MON) honour on four deceased officers while the other 13 soldiers were awarded Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) medals.
The four officers who got MON were: Lt. Col. A.H Ali; Maj S.D Shafa; Maj D.E Obi and Capt U Zakari while OON was conferred on SSgt Yahaya Saidu; Cpl Yahaya Danbaba; Cpl Kabiru Bashir; LCpl Bulus Haruna; LCpl Sola Opeyemi; LCpl Bello Anas; LCpl Hamman Peter; LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi; Pte Alhaji Isah; Pte Clement Francis; Pte Abubakar Ali; Pte Ibrahim Adamu; and Pte Adamu Ibrahim.
The president, in his speech, said, “It is now our duty to protect the families of our departed heroes.”
He added that the federal government would provide a house in any part of our country to each of the families of the four officers and 13 soldiers.
“The federal government has also approved scholarships to all the children of the deceased up to the university level,” he said.
“The military must, within the next ninety days, ensure that all the benefits of the departed are paid to their families.”
