The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, on Friday, declared that the military will avenge the death of personnel killed by Terrorists in Niger State.
The Security Chief stated this as the Nigerian Armed Forces on Friday laid to rest the remains of military personnel killed in action in the recent crash of the Nigerian Air Force MI-171E Helicopter in Niger after an encounter with Terrorists in the state.
The burial ceremony was conducted for 20 of the deceased personnel at the National Military Cemetery, Airport Road Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with full military honour.
Speaking after laying of wreath on their graves and presentation of the national flags to the deceased’s next of kins, the CDS said that the the military joined the family members in their griefs, and that their deaths would not be in vain.
According to him, “those that did this, and those that have continued to kill our men, wherever they are, we will get them out, we will smoke them out and we will ensure that they never have any other opportunity to kill any other person, that I assure you.
“We will hunt you down, we will bring you to Justice. We will not relent until we get those causing havocs in the country,”
He maintained that none of those adversaries would go scot-free, saying they would be hunted down by all means.
The bodies of the 20 deceased personnel arrived the cemetery from Kaduna at noon for the funeral as some of the fallen heroes had since been buried in other locations.
The event was attended by the Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa; service chiefs; families and well-wishers of the fallen heroes.
The governors of Kaduna and Niger states were represented at the funeral.
The event involved the laying of wreaths by the two ministers, and presentation of the national flag to the next-of-kin of the deceased personnel by the CDS and service chiefs.
The military had last week disclosed that a total of 36 personnel of the military paid supreme price during an ambush by the terrorists at Zungeru-Tegina road and the subsequent jet crash that happened in Chukuba area of Shiroro, all in Niger State.
Three officers and 22 soldiers were killed in an ambush in the Zungeru general area of the state while seven were wounded in action.
The NAF helicopter was on a mission to evacuate the deceased and wounded troops when it crashed at Chukuba area of Shiroro local government area of the state on August 13.
The crashed helicopter was conveying 14 bodies of the previously killed soldiers and seven wounded, two pilots and two crew members.
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