Murderers of 16 soldiers in Delta state must be brought to swift Justice, according to the Alumni Association of the National Institute, AANI.
The soldiers attached to the 181 Amphibious Battalion were brutally killed while on a peace mission on Friday by some suspected youths.
The victims, according to the Defence Headquarters, included the commanding officer, two majors amongst others.
Following the incident, not a few Nigerians have demanded that the killers to be arrested and punished for their crimes for gruesomely killing soldiers who put their lives on harm’s way for the unity of the country.
If the murderers are treated with kid gloves, according to analysts, security forces in the country would be discouraged to perform their legitimate duties.
According to the AANI, the act is “an unforgivable affront to our nation’s values,” that must not be tolerated.
To prevent such ugly incident from recurring, the killers “including the community leaders, must face the full force of the law,” the association said.
It said: “This is an unforgivable affront to our nation’s values, therefore our hearts bleed for the families of these fallen heroes and all Nigerians.
“AANI stands in solidarity with our military and the families of these heroes who paid the supreme price in quest for peace in Delta State.
“Consequently, this despicable act of barbarism must not be swept under the rug. We demand swift and decisive action from both the Federal and Delta State governments.
“The perpetrators, including the community leaders, must face the full force of the law. No one who dares to spill the blood of our defenders and attacks Nigeria should escape justice. The perpetrators must face swift justice, with no leniency shown to those who dare to spill the blood of our beloved soldiers, for whatever reason,” he said.
“The culprits, especially the youths involved, must be swiftly brought to justice. The traditional rulers overseeing this tragedy must face consequences for their negligence.”
Meanwhile,the magazine learned that residents have started fleeing the community in panic for fear of a reprisal attack by the military.
When a similar incident took place in Odi part of the state some years ago, the community was totally sacked by the military which turned it to a ghost village.
