Abuja should appreciate the import of Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi in the economic calculus or growth of Nigeria’s GDP and take pragmatic steps to end the IPOB spell on the South-east.
EDITORIAL: IPOB: Killers of Aba soldiers must face the law
But we inveigh against the military’s avowal to “retaliate,” as contained in a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-General Edward Buba. This mode of vengeance is not in accord with civilised behaviour or the rules of engagement of the military. As it has often been the case, this will give fillip to impunity and the killing of innocent citizens in the area. This showed in their response to the 16 soldiers killed in Okuama, Delta State, in March this year.
IPOB’s agitation for over a decade now, for the reincarnation of the moribund Biafran Republic, has claimed the lives of too many security operatives and civilians. In the first quota of 2024 alone, 102 people were killed in the region, according to data from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. A soldier couple, A.M Linus and his unidentified wife, were killed and beheaded in Imo State in May 2022.
However, there is nothing off-beam in the decision of a group of people to remember their kith and kin who died on the battlefield, provided that it is conducted within the ambit of the law. The ritual keeps history alive and acts as a veritable compass for the future, especially in ensuring that stumps of the past are avoided. It is a canon of human existence, which the philosopher/writer George Santayana put so didactically: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Therefore, the cascading blood in the South-east and IPOB’s revanchist impulses must be brought to an end. To achieve this will require President Bola Tinubu’s demonstration of the larger heart of a statesman in finding a political solution, rather than legalism, to the Kalu miasma. His unduly prolonged trial, some have argued and rightly so, provides a toxic elixir to IPOB – which has become an umbrella for many criminal elements – kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and political assassins.
At Premium Times, we firmly believe in the importance of high-quality journalism. Recognizing that not everyone can afford costly news subscriptions, we are dedicated to delivering meticulously researched, fact-checked news that remains freely accessible to all.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Otti places N25m bounty on killers of 5 soldiers in AbaThe Abia state government has placed a N25 million bounty on the killers of the 5 soldiers at Obikabia junction, Ogbor Hill, Aba.
Read more »
Military fumes over killing of five soldiers in Aba by suspected IPOB terrorists, vows retaliationNigeria’s military high command has expressed anger over the ‘unwarranted’ killing of no fewer than five soldiers at a checkpoint
Read more »
BREAKING: ‘Fish out killers of soldiers in Aba’President Bola Tinubu has vowed that the federal government will come down heavily against those who have made it a habit to needlessly attack the officers and men of Nigeria's armed forces.
Read more »
We ‘ll smoke out killers of soldiers in AbaGovernor Alex Otti of Abia State, has vowed to smoke out killers of five soldiers in Aba.
Read more »
Be civil, but fish out killers of soldiers in Aba, Deputy Speaker tells ArmyThe Nation Newspaper Be civil, but fish out killers of soldiers in Aba, Deputy Speaker tells Army
Read more »
We’ve started getting information about killers of soldiers in AbaGovernor Alex Otti of Abia State has disclosed that credible information about the killers of five soldiers in Aba on May 30, has started trickling in.
Read more »