DEFENCE
No Secret Graveyards: Army Breaks Down Details of Heroes burial at The Frontlines
RE: SECRET MILITARY CEMETERY CONCEALS TOLL OF ISLAMIST INSURGENCY IN NIGERIA
The Nigerian Army has debunked a statement attributed to Joe Parkinson and released on 31 Jul 19 in “The Wall Street Journal” that the Nigerian Army has a secret cemetery that conceal toll of Islamist Insurgency.
The statement that was released by Deputy Director, Public Relations, Operation LAFIYA DOLE Colonel AD Isa stated that:
The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a mischievous Article titled, Secret Military Cemetery Conceals Toll of Islamist Insurgency in Nigeria, was written by Joe Parkinson and released on 31 Jul 19 in “The Wall Street Journal”.
The writer alleged that the bodies of dead soldiers are covertly transported from a mortuary, delivered by truck and laid by flashlights into trenches dug by infantry or local villagers paid a few dollars by shift.
It also alleged that soldiers were buried in unmarked graves at night in secret graves.
Similarly, it alleged that Nigerian Government last summer stopped reporting the deaths of soldiers in its fight against Boko Haram. Likewise, it claimed that the operational command holds the bodies of 1000 soldiers killed since the terror groups began offensive last summer.
Additionally, it reported on one Mercy Tamuno, who demanded to see where her husband was buried, and she was led to a spot marked with a plastic bottle with her husbands name written on it.
It further claimed that 2 soldiers from the late soldiers unit said the bottle was prepared to appease his wife.
Furthermore, the writer made some derogatory comments on rotation of troops, gruesome punishments to suspected jihadists and declining morale of own troops.
Having critically studied the allegations, it was obvious that the writer’s claims were baseless and intended to smear the good image of the NA and lower the moral component of troops in the ongoing Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency operations.
In this light, I wish to respond on behalf of the NA as follows:
Maimalari Military Cemetery is the only recognized place where burials are held in the Theatre.
The stretch of land where the cemetery is located and produce beyond belongs to the NA and not taken over from any person or group of persons as claimed.
This area like in other armies is secured to honour and give recognition to the sacrifices of officers and soldiers who paid the supreme price by laying down their lives for the peace, security and unity of the country.
In our own case, a hall of fame was also built in the cemetery to honour the fallen heroes and act as reference point for posterity.
Burial procedure in the NA is entrenched in the NA Administrative Policies and procedures.
The procedures is triggered by first notifying the higher headquarters and NOKs of the deceased personnel for coordination.
It is a command responsibility and attended by officers and soldiers of the unit within the Theatre of operations.
The timings for all burials in the Theatre have always been before the flags are lowered in the evening.
Maimalari cemetery is partitioned into 2 to accommodate Christians and Islam faithfuls.
The graves are also partitioned, and grave pegs placed to mark each grave. Hence, the claims that soldiers were buried in unmarked graves at night in secret graves is unfounded.
Suffice to state that all deceased are also honoured with the 21 gun salute in line with the ethics and traditions of the NA.
As such, one wonder how the firing could be done in secret contrary to NA traditions.
Certainly, commanders on their own cannot carry the corpses to the cemetery without the knowledge and support of the troops.
If this is done with the awareness of the troops, certainly it would not have been a secret.
Likewise, if not done with their knowledge, the commander on his own would not be able to drive the vehicle, carry the corpses, dig the graves and also bury the bodies without any support.
Thus, this allegation is not only worrisome but also questionable. More especially when we have the Governor, Service Chief, Principal Staff Officers from Service Headquarters, Commanders, NOKs, families and members of the press that did attend funeral ceremonies of fallen heroes.
On the allegation that Nigerian Government last summer stopped reporting the deaths of soldiers in its fight against Boko Haram is also disturbing.
Generally, events and lessons learnt from battles have shown that death in combat is inevitable.
In as much as the NA tries to reduce casualties in the battle against the insurgents, it still happens as one of the hazards of war fighting.
Obviously, when such occurrences happen, it is made known to higher headquarters to trigger burial procedures and processing of benefits.
This is also done with the consent of the NOKs and not in the secret. Soldiers also move in pairs or in groups, as such one wonder how the corpses could be isolated without the knowledge of their colleagues, which would have dampened their morale to fight or take orders from their superiors.
The claim that the operational command holds the bodies of 1000 soldiers killed since the terror groups began offensive last summer is just unbelievable.
The questions are where, when, why and for what reason would 1,000 bodies be kept in the hide without anyone seeing it or perceiving the smell.
Curtaining, this allegation further buttress the fact that the writer intends to smear the good image of the NA and the Government.
The report that one Mercy Tamuno, who demanded to see where her husband was buried, and she was led to a spot marked with a plastic bottle with her husbands name written on it is again unbelievable.
Interestingly, 13NA/70/9866 LCpl Adah Tamuno, whose wife; Mrs Mercy Tamuno claimed her husband was buried in the secret grave gave false report.
The late gallant (soldier was serving with 119 TF Bn at Metele and died during combat.
He was officially buried on 29 Nov 18 at the Maimalari Military Cemetery with proper military honour by daylight with the grave well marked, not with a plastic bottle, alongside his colleagues.
The last burial in the Theatre was that of Capt A Mohammed who was killed on 17 Jul 19 in an ambush alongside with Col EE Elemele and 5 others along Jakana-Benisheik MSR.
The Capt was buried on 18 Jul 19 at the Maimalari Military Cemetery in accordance with Islamic rites.
The burial was attended by the families of the deceased and other sympathizers.
The writer made some derogatory comments on rotation of troops, gruesome punishments to suspected jihadists and declining morale of own troops.
Suffice to state that the NA has a standing policy on the rotation of troops in the Theatre.
The last rotation of de-inducted troops was conducted on 28 Jul 19 and the troops are currently at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji undergoing de-induction training.
The next batch of troops to be inducted are already at the Nigeria Army Special Forces Training School at Buni Yadi for induction training, after which they would be moved to the Theatre for deployment.
The pictures of the rotated troops are also available and hereby attached. In terms of the gruesome punishments to captured insurgents, one wonders why the writer decided to contradict himself in the article by reporting the immoral activities of the insurgents.
The NA is a professional Army and captured insurgents are treated in line with global best practices and in accordance with International Humanitarian Laws.
Above all, the morale of troops in the theatre remains high and not as reported.
It is obvious that the essence of the report is to distract own troops from maintaining the tempo in the ongoing operations.
The public is hereby advised to disregard the allegations as written by Joe Parkinson and released on 31 Jul 19 in The Wall Street Journal.
The NA remain resolute in its fight against the insurgents and will never be distracted by media propaganda.
The threat to the national security of our beloved country require that all hands are on deck to win the war against terrorism and insurgency.
Governor, Service Chief, Principal Staff Officers from Service Headquarters, Commanders, Next of kins, families as well as members of the Press attend befitting funeral ceremonies of fallen heroes with Gun Salute.
The police command in Enugu State has rescued an armed robbery suspect from irate mob and recovered a locally made pistol from him.
The command Spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Monday in Enugu, said that the suspect (names withheld) was rescued from the mob on June 8, at about 8p.
m. within the Independence Layout, Enugu.Ndukwe said that the feat was achieved through credible intelligence by a combined team of police operatives from the Independence Layout Division, Anti-Cultism Squad, working in collaboration with members of the Neighbourhood Watch.
“A locally fabricated pistol was recovered from him, while his cohorts reportedly fled the scene.
“The suspect, who sustained severe injuries inflicted by the irate mob, is currently receiving medical treatment.
“He (allegedly) confessed to being a member of the Black Axe Confraternity, while discreet investigations are ongoing to apprehend his fleeing accomplices,” he said.
Ndukwe said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, had commended the swift and collaborative efforts of the police operatives and community members that led to the arrest and recovery.
He said that the commissioner, however, strongly cautioned against mob actions and jungle justice, adding that such acts undermined proper investigation and the delivery of justice in criminal cases. (NAN)
The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has confirmed the death of Godwin Akpakpan, a 300-level student of Computer Science, who was allegedly killed by unidentified security personnel.
Akpakpan was reportedly apprehended by security operatives during a stop-and-search operation in Port Harcourt.
The incident occurred late on April 16, as the deceased was returning from his brother’s lounge.
An eyewitness familiar with the incident told NAN that while the officers were conducting a search on Akpakpan, an altercation ensued between the security personnel and a group of individuals dressed in military uniform.
The confrontation escalated into an exchange of gunfire, during which Akpakpan was struck by a stray bullet and died at the scene.
Dr Sam Kpenu, Head of Information, Publications and Public Relations at UNIPORT, confirmed to journalists that the deceased was a registered student at the institution.
He stated that the university received news of the incident with profound shock and had commenced an internal inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
“UNIPORT is also actively engaging with the relevant security authorities to gain a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.
“We anticipate a thorough investigation and expect that appropriate action will be taken to hold those responsible accountable,” he said.
Kpenu urged students and other members of the university community to remain calm and to allow the relevant agencies to carry out their investigations without disruption.
He affirmed the university’s unwavering commitment to the safety, dignity, and welfare of its staff and students, stating that necessary measures would continue to be implemented to uphold the principles.
“We extend our condolences to the Akpakpan family, his friends, and colleagues during this deeply distressing time.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Kpenu concluded.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Police Command in Rivers, also confirmed the death of Akpakpan, stating that the command had launched an investigation into the incident.
The fatal shot was not fired by a police officer, but rather by personnel identified as belonging to the military.
However, she declined to reveal the specific security agency involved.
“The Police Command is aware of the incident that resulted in the death of a 300-level student of UNIPORT.
“The command, in collaboration with a sister security agency, has commenced an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the shot was fired by a military personnel,” Iringe-Koko stated. (NAN)
Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State has assured residents of the state that his administration will continue to prioritize and support all initiatives promoting safety on roads.
Mbah gave the assurance in an address at the 2025 National Workshop for Driving School Proprietors and Instructors holding in Enugu on Thursday.
The theme of the two-day workshop was “Entrenching Highway Safety in Nigeria Through Standardised Drivers and Riders Training”.
Represented by the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Sunday Ajogwu, the governor noted that the state would continue to put up legislative support, infrastructure investments or policy reforms to ensure avoidable accidents were checked on roads.
“We recognise that transportation safety is not merely a technical issue – it is a moral imperative.
“Let us not reduce this workshop to another ceremonial gathering, but rather, let it be a transformational platform that strengthens the building blocks of a safer road in Nigeria,” he said.
Mbah also congratulated the FRSC leadership, particularly the Corps Marshal and the training department for their vision and dedication.
In an address, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Mallam Shehu Mohammed, said that driving school remained the first point of contact between would-be drivers and the culture of road safety.
Represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal, Mr Chidiebere Nkwonta, the Corps Marshal noted that “if the foundation at the driving school is weak, no amount of enforcement, engineering, or emergency response could sufficiently bridge gap.”
According to him, it is, therefore, critical that all driving school proprietors and instructors recognise the sacredness of their role in nation building.
He said: “Our Driving Schools Standardization Programme (DSSP) was established as a comprehensive framework to improve the quality, uniformity, and integrity of drivers training nationwide.
“Since its inception, we have witnessed significant progress through improved training curricula; adoption of driving simulators in approved schools; increased compliance with minimum operational standards; and a more structured and credible licensing process.
“However, there are still significant gaps.
“Some schools continue to cut corners. Some prioritise profit over safety. Some struggle with infrastructural deficits, regulatory compliance, and the professional development of their instructors.”
The corps marshal said that the workshop would provide the opportunity to collectively address these gaps.
“The selected lecture topics including the examination of the trucking industry’s impact on highway safety, the economic prospects standardized rider training, and an honest reflection on the DSSP journey are – designed to challenge our assumptions, and inspire collective action.
“Moreover, the second day’s Technical Session is particularly critical. It acknowledges the reality that regulation without consultation often breeds resentment and non-compliance,” he added.
He said that years of organising the annual driving school training had yielded incremental reorientation among drivers especially as all driving schools followed the DSSP protocols and guidelines before a license is issued.
Speaking, an Honourary FRSC Special Marshal, Chief Felix Ajim, commended the FRSC management for finding practical solutions to the challenges confronting the driving school industry leading to poor driving culture and avoidable accidents.
“We appreciate the FRSC management for the humanitarian efforts to ensure that all road users are safe and the corps is doing it in a proactive manner, starting with the first point a would-be driver, beginning from – the approved FRSC Driving Schools,” he said.
The State Director of Vehicles Inspection Office (VIO), Mr Val Chime, said that the place of VIO testing examination for all would-be driver should never be jettison as it completes the training of a would-be driver before obtaining a license.
Responding, Mrs Gloria Ugbebo, a driving instructor with Intergrated Automative Services Limited, Calabar, thanked the FRSC for standardising and sanitising driving in the country through a uniformed DSSP protocols and guidelines.
Ugbebo, one of the participants at the workshop, said, “The FRSC regulations have brought dignity and procedure in the driving school industry and the yearly training have continue to shape the industry for the better.”
The two-day workshop is being attended by driving school proprietors and instructors from Cross River, Ebonyi and Enugu States. (NAN)
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