The House of Representatives resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate how funds appropriated to security agencies are utilised and the operational lapses that led to the killings of 118 soldiers at its plenary on Tuesday 27 November, 2018. The House has also urged the military to release the names of Nigeria’s fallen heroes after due consultation with the families.
Moving the motion on the floor of the House on Tuesday 27 November, Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Chukwuka Onyema (PDP:Anambra) drew attention to reports from media organizations indicating that that no fewer than 118 Nigerian Soldiers (including their commanding officer Lt Col Ibrahim Sakaba of the 157 Battalion ) massacred by the Islamic State West Africa ( more commonly known as the Boko Haram) on 18th November 2018 at Metele village in Borno State. He added that 150 soldiers/officers were still said to be missing.
Elaborating on the incident, Hon. Onyema reported that the insurgents were believed to have carted away a large consignment of weapons from the Metele Army Base, which security experts feared could either embolden them or portend great danger. The lawmaker also expressed dismay over President Buhari‘s disposition over the attack as he questioned the Commander–in-chief’s silence on the issue for over five days after the news first made headlines and the death toll of soldiers continued to rise.
The lawmaker expressed concern that no fewer than 600 Nigerian soldiers have been killed by insurgents in Borno State since the insurgency started and faulted the Executive for claiming that Boko Haram terrorists have been “technically defeated” when the insurgents appeared to be getting stronger by the day from recent reports. He stated that the latest happenings would seem to suggest that the successes and gains made against Boko Haram have been reversed.
Contributing to the motion, Hon. Edward Pwajok (APC:Plateau) shared the same anxieties as Hon. Onyema and wondered why many members of the House of Representatives were not present to debate an important matter of national security.
