By Adesina Soyooye
An Angry and obviously embarrassed Nigerian Army, broke out from its usual restraint in such cases, and tackled the wife of one of its fallen senior officers.
A heartbroken Oluwaseun Sakaba, wife of late Col I Sakaba, had taken the Army to the cleaners. And placed a course on the NA: ” It will never be good with you.”, she said.
She lost her dear husband during a Boko Haram attack in November, 2018 on the 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele, Guzamala LGA, Borno State. 44 Military Personnel were lost in that attack.
Mrs Sakaba’s anger stemmed from photographs posted by the Army of alleged repentant Boko Haram terrorists, who displayed placards on which were written “Nigerians, please, forgive us”. Mrs Sakaba, in an Instagram posting, slammed the Army for posting such photographs, and asked why she should forgive the terrorists. “Should I forgive them for making me a young widow? Should I forgive them for making me to relocate outside”, she asked among other questions.
She also made other serious allegations. For instance, she said her husband’s benefits had not been paid. But the most serious was the impression she created that the NA deliberately killed her husband, claiming it was a friendly fire. That stung the Army.
In a strongly-worded reaction, signed by its spokesperson, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army debunked her claims, and stopped short of calling her a blatant liar.
While sympathizing with her trauma and sorrow and pain over her husband’s death, the Army said Col Sakaba died honourably, killed in battle in defence of his fatherland. To suggest otherwise, the Army said, is to insult not only Sakaba’s memory, but that of all the soldiers who had died in action, as well as that of the Military.
The Army also disclosed that most of Col Sakaba’s benefits has been paid to his six-year old son, through her, revealing that the boy “is the next of kin”, not her.
Following is the full text of the Army’s response to Mrs Sakaba. It is dated, August 12, 2021, and entitled:
CLARIFICATION: COLONEL SAKABA DIED FIGHTING GALLANTLY NOT ASSASINATED
The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of an article making the rounds online, in which an allegation credited to Mrs Oluwaseun Sakaba, the widow of late Col Ibrahim Sakaba alleged that the late senior officer was assassinated for refusing to loot funds meant for fighting the Boko Haram Insurgency.
The late senior officer’s widow was quoted to have made several uncomplimentary comments about the institution of the Nigerian Army (NA), making reference to an unfounded and baseless claims devoid of any fact.
While the NA is not interested in joining issues with anyone with respect to the enormous sacrifices made daily by our gallant troops, it is however expedient to address the weighty allegations credited to the widow. The NA acknowledges the emotional agony associated with loosing loved ones and that cannot be quantified by any unit of measure.
The demise of late Col Ibrahim Sakaba, like those of other officers and soldiers who paid the supreme price in the war against terrorism in the North East, is one that is painful to the NA. These men and women died serving our nation, fighting to restore peace and stability in the North East.
This is in tandem with the constitutional mandate of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Therefore, it will be totally a mischief and an assault on the psyche of our troops, who are relentlessly fighting, to begin to insinuate any plot against one of our own. And what is the plot here? That troops were led by their commander for an operational engagement is not a plot, as any one may want to insinuate. Rather, it was a clear military mission with clear objective.
It is however disheartening that this gallant officer and some of his men paid the supreme price in the operation and we pray fervently for the repose of their souls. Col Sakaba was a respected senior officer who gave his all in the defence of the freedom we all enjoy today.
His demise is a great loss to all of us. Insinuating anything contrary is a deservice to our nation and the sacrifices of our troops.
Concerning the issue of entitlements. Available records reveal the following incontrovertible facts:
That Master Samuel Ibrahim Sakaba, the son of Mrs Seun Sakaba, is the Next of Kin (NOK) to the late Senior Officer and the only child.
All entitlements meant to be paid by the NA have been paid to the NOK through Mrs Oluwaseun Sakaba.
As at the time his entitlements were processed, Samuel was less than 6years as such, he was not benefiting from NA school sponsorship.
However now that he has reached the required age, he has been captured for payment of school sponsorship which will commence any moment from now. The NA will continue to sponsor the child’s education up to graduation from university, as long as he fulfills the requirements outlined in the rules guiding the scheme.
The only entitlement owed Mrs Oluwaseun Sakaba is the Group Life Assurance which is normally paid by the Insurance Company and which would soon be received along with that of other deceased personnel.
The NA takes the welfare of her troops very seriously, as evident in the various welfare programmes put in place for troops and their families. The leadership has made the welfare of troops, one of the cardinal pillars of the COAS’ vision for the NA. This is visible in the various welfare programmes embarked upon in addition to those that are statutorily emplaced.
There are also well established communication channels with families of deceased personnel.
The NA under the leadership of the COAS, will continue to pursue the welfare of troops who are working round the clock to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians.
The NA will not be deterred, but remain focused in its pursuit of excellence and in ensuring that all Nigerians enjoy their God given right to live freely anywhere in Nigeria.
