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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), General Christopher Musa, has vowed that the Nigerian Armed Forces will avenge the death of its personnel killed in ambush on August 13 in Niger State.
General Musa, who made the vow at burial of 20, personnel at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, equally ordered military commanders and troops in the various operations across the country to avenge the death of their colleagues.
The soldiers on internal security operations in niger state were ambushed while conducting offensive operations around Kundu general area in Shiroro LGA of Niger State.
Following a fire fight, 3 officers and 22 soldiers were killed in action, 7 soldiers wounded in action. Subsequently, the NAF MI-171 Hel was despatched to evacuated the casualties. While out bound to Kaduna, the helicopter crashed with 14 of the earlier killed in action personnel, 7 of the earlier wounded in action personnel, 2 pilots and 2 crew members of the helicopter.
The CDS, while condoling the families of the deceased personnel, said that they did not die in vain and assured that those behind the killing would be hunted down at all cost, saying none of them adversaries will go scot-free.
Musa, who described the incident as sad, said “But I want to assure the families that their death is not in vain. We appreciate them, we pray for them and we will ensure that those that did this must pay for it.
“I use this opportunity to call all commanders, all troops all over Nigeria, that we must avenge this.
“Those that did this and those that have continued to kill our men wherever they are, we will get them out, we smoke them out and we ensure that they never have opportunity to kill any other person. That I assure you.
“Today we gather here with heavy hearts and tearful eyes to bid farewell to our fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our nation.
“We stand there today to honor their courage, dedication and unwavering commitment to duty. Their lives were abruptly taken from us in the line of duty while responding to a distress call in the Chukuba community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger,”.
The CDS, while noting that the event was to also celebrate their lives and extra extraordinary contributions they had made, said that their selflessness and unwavering dedication to duty would forever be remembered.
He assured the deceased families that the military would stand with them in their grief and would continue to support them during this difficult time.
“These men and women laid down their lives so that we can live in peace and security. They fought on the front lines against the forces of evil and ensuring that the flavor of hood and liberty continue to bend right in our nation.
“Their courage and dedication will forever be an inspiration to all to follow their footsteps.
“To the families who have lost loved ones not withstanding our deepest condolences, we cannot begin to fathom the pain and sorrow that you are experiencing but know that deep in your heart, you are not alone in your grief.
“To our fallen heroes, we will honor your memories by continuing to fight against those who seek to undermine our peace and security.
“We will remain steadfast in our resolve to be the nation worthy of sacrifice.
“To the bandits, terrorists, and perpetrators of violence, we will haunt you down, we will bring you to justice and will restore peace and security to every corner of our nation.
