Boko Haram: Family of dead army officer writes Buhari, demands explanations

THE family of Lieutenant Colonel Otobrise Umusu, the Commanding Officer, 118 Task Force Battalion in Borno State, who was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in an ambush on Monday, December 12, 2016 on his way to Baga has sent a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari demanding explanations over his death.

They said in the letter that they wanted to know the who, what and why that happened to the family member on that terrible day.

The letter was signed by Odiriviroro Umusu, the immediate junior brother to the dead officer.

In the letter, he said that Lieutenant Colonel Otobrise Umusu dedicated his life to serving Nigeria from an early age and in Zaria, Ibadan, Niger Delta, among others.

The letter reads in part, “Your Excellency; if you are reading this, the name, Umusu, will ring a bell as my father, Brigadier General Sylvester Ugege Umusu served under you and also worked with you when you headed PTF.

“It is now Wednesday, December 14, 2016 and as I write this letter with tears in eyes, my father, my brother’s wife, Ufuoma Joe Umusu, and his siblings have not been contacted by you, your office, the Chief of Defence Staff or the Chief of Army Staff to offer your condolences for our loss.

“My brave brother sacrificed his life and future with his family to make yours and every Nigerian’s today safe.

“In my humble opinion, we deserve your acknowledgement and appreciation and as a former army officer, I know you appreciate the sacrifice involved in serving your country and it saddens me that in over 24 hours after the passing of my brother a call has not been made to my family.

“I do not under any circumstances believe this is too much to ask; for the falling heroes of our beloved country Nigeria.

“My family has served Nigeria in her armed forces and continues to do so, we have paid the greatest price for that service; the very young life of my beloved brother Lieutenant Colonel Otobrise Umusu who was killed in action. As his family we have lots of questions to ask surrounding his death.

“When will an investigation be carried out? Will there be an investigation? My brother bled out, why did his team not have the right equipment for such eventuality? What lessons can be learnt from this? What is being done to stop funding to Boko Haram? Every weapon, vehicle purchase or general equipment purchase by Boko Haram must leave a paper trail. Can the expert forensic accounting skills used by the EFCC not be employed to disrupt their operations?

“Your Excellency, you may deem this letter as disrespectful and not the right procedure in dealing with this matter, but I’m a Nigerian citizen that is grieving the loss of his beloved brother and in my humble opinion we deserve to know the who, what and why that happened to our brother on that terrible day and as his Command in Chief you are ultimately responsible for reaching out to all the families of our fallen heroes to assure them their loved ones did not die in vain.”