The former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party (LP’s) presidential flagbearer in last year’s presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, have condemned the killing of military personnel in Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, calling for their prosecution. 

Military personnel including a commanding officer, two majors, one captain, twelve soldiers, and a civilian were murdered in the community. 

Atiku, writing in his he wrote on his X account Sunday evening, said the attack was unwarranted and unjustified.

“The brutal killing of over a dozen Nigerian soldiers in Okuama in the Ughelli South Local Government Area and Okolaba in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State stands condemned. There can never be a justification for a premeditated killing of soldiers on a legitimate assignment.

“Even as we grieve the loss of these soldiers, who are not only Nigerians but have families and dependants, I urge restraints by the military authorities in its response. I would recommend that the culprits be arrested and prosecuted.”

Obi noted that the incident and the killing of some police officers in the same state were “barbaric and totally unacceptable”.

Obi wrote on his X handle: “In both sad incidents, the dead security personnel were on active duties of securing and keeping peace within our communities, state, and country before their unfortunate end, even by the people they were trying to help.

“This killing is barbaric and totally unacceptable and should not be tolerated by Nigerians and any sane society. For a nation already combatting a high level of insecurity, the killing of our security personnel who put their lives on the line for the security of the nation will be too much of a burden to bear. 

“These sad occurrences and many cases of killing, kidnappings and violent crimes around the country, have continued to fuel very deep concerns over the security of the nation.”