When we were growing up, and even up until now, the fear of soldiers was the beginning of wisdom. You dare not cross their path.
If you have ever seen a soldier beating a “bloody civilian,” when next you see someone in a green khaki, you will not wait to confirm if the fellow is a member of Man ‘O’ War, Neighbourhood Watch, Boys Scout or a corps member before you will take to your heels.
There was a retired soldier in my hometown in those days. He had a shop. He was never a fashion designer, considering the quality of the work expected from somebody who bears that title. He was a tailor but I cannot remember if he ever had any cloth to his credit. He specialised in patching school uniforms for pupils. He was not even doing that well. Whenever you see a green khaki used to patch a brown khaki, it must be this man. You must count yourself lucky if he did not use a flowery ankara to patch your khaki for you.
The story is not about his tailoring prowess. It is about the fear he was instilling in locals just because he was a retired soldier. When the government was still strict with the restriction of movements during monthly environmental sanitation, this man took it upon himself to enforce the restriction in our neighbourhood. Adorned in his military outfit, he will be walking majestically around the neighbourhood. His claim was that “once a soldier is always a soldier.” Once you see him approaching, you must quickly pretend to either be sweeping or cutting grass. That is the kind of aura that our military men carry about. It took us many years before we realised that this man served in the tailoring unit of the Army, not even on the war front.
Coming from this background, I was shocked to my marrow when I read about the incident of March 14, 2024, in a community in Delta State where some youths were bold enough to lay an ambush for military men and succeeded in killing 17 of them! What an affront!
A lot of comments have trailed the attack. From President Bola Tinubu to the leadership of the National Assembly, state governors, Armed Forces and traditional rulers among others, there is a consensus that those behind this condemnable act must be made to face the law.
Responding to the development, Tinubu, in a statement he signed on Sunday, said, “The cowardly offenders responsible for this heinous crime will not go unpunished.
The Defence Headquarters and Chief of Defence Staff have been granted full authority to bring to justice anybody found to have been responsible for this unconscionable crime against the Nigerian people.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, I join all well-meaning Nigerians and the men and women of our Armed Forces to mourn and express my profound grief over the needless death of our gallant soldiers.”
The President said the Delta killings demonstrated the dangers faced by Nigerian servicemen and women in the line of duty. He asserted that as a nation, Nigerians must constantly remember and honour all those who have paid the ultimate price to keep the country safe, strong and united.
The officers and men who died in the Okuama community, Tinubu said, have joined the great men and women who gave their all, with honour, in the service of their fatherland.
He noted, “Members of our Armed Forces are at the heart and the core of our nationhood. Therefore, any attack on them is a direct attack on our nation. We will not accept this wicked act.
“I salute their heroism, courage, and uncommon grit and patriotism.
“My government will not relent until we achieve peace and tranquillity in every part of Nigeria.
May God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and keep the members of our Armed Forces safe.”
It is of concern that this is not the first major ambush involving our armed men in recent times. In August 2023, bandits laid an ambush for troops and killed many in the Shiroro area of Niger State.
That time too, Tinubu blew hot. The President, in a statement he signed, as he did on Sunday, stated that the incidents brought him “immense sadness.”
He said, “These officers and men were answering the call of duty while on an evacuation mission. In their dedicated service to our beloved country, they paid the ultimate price.”
While commending the courage and devotion of the fallen soldiers, Tinubu said, “On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my condolences to their families, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the entire Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Many have indeed cautioned the military against reprisal in the Delta attack. The military itself has promised not to toe the line. But it is still left to be seen if they can resist the urge.
I read that many residents of the affected community have fled. This is expected. It would have been strange to learn that they stayed back to see how events unfold.
I saw a comedy skit recently where a man standing beside a car was harassing the driver whom he accused of driving carelessly. While the driver was still sitting behind the wheel, this other man was slapping and abusing him. By the time the driver finally alighted from the car and the aggressor saw his military camouflage trousers, he started rolling into a pool of dirty water on the road on his own. He knew, without being told, that he had trespassed. He decided to first punish himself while still waiting for the kind of punishment this man in camouflage may plan for him.
I can only imagine how military personnel, both serving and retired, will be feeling in the face of this kind of provocation that happened in the Okuoma community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Irrespective of how they are feeling, they must not take the laws into their own hands. Beyond this, I also suggest that military authorities re-strategise their movement. Our soldiers who have been successfully taken part in peace missions in other countries cannot continue to fall “cheaply” to some blood-thirsty criminals at home. Something drastic must be done about this. Enough is enough.
