The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of one officer and 10 soldiers by yet to be identified criminals in Benue State.
The Director,Army Public Relations Officer,Brig Gen, Mohammed Yerima, disclosed this in newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
The Army Spokesman said the troops were initially declared missing which led to the deployment of a joint search and rescue team comprising army troops and personnel of Operation Whirl Stroke..
The search and rescue team unfortunately found all the missing troops dead in Konshisha Local Government Area of the state.
He said while the bodies of the slain troops were evacuated immediately, efforts are ongoing to track down their killers and bring them to justice.
According to him, the Chief of Army Staff ( COAS), Lt Gen, Ibrahim Attahiru, has therefore directed commanders on the ground to ensure sustained efforts to fish out and deal decisively with the bad elements who are threatening the peace in the area.
Yerima recalled that Benue which was a hotbed for violent clashes has been enjoying relative peace following the succeses recorded by the various security agencies who have been working tirelessly to safeguard law abiding citizens and ensure they go about their legitimate business without fear of harassment by criminals.
” The Nigerian Army appeal to the public to volunteer useful information that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly act”.he said
The slain officer and soldiers were on a mission to stabilize Benue before they were killed by unscrupulous persons said to be on the run.
It was gathered that the Army had in the wake of the killing of its troops carried out large scale offensive in the area resulting in the death of more than,70 people.
