Government to stop the secret burial of soldiers killed on the
battlefield.
In a statement signed by its leaders, Oby Ezekwesili, Aisha Yesufu and
Florence Ozor, the group made this call while reacting to photos of
mass burial of some fallen soldiers days after the Nigerian military
denied its soldiers were attacked.
In its statement, the BBOG, which has been clamouring for the return
of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls since 2014, described the action as
unfortunate.
"Were Nigerians not told that the military has won the war? What then
is the reason for the escalation of attacks by the terrorists and the
heightened loss of life of citizens and our soldiers?
"The #BringBackOurGirls Advocacy has been consistent in voicing the
correlation between the wellbeing of our troops, the rescue of our
#ChibokGirls and the end of the insurgency.
"It is, therefore, disheartening that several months after the federal
government's announcement that Boko Haram has been technically
defeated, we see pictures of a mass burial for our troops, killed by
Boko Haram," part of the statement read.
"The Military Authority should immediately confirm the number of our
soldiers that have died within this month of July 2018. Their families
and Nigerians should have a brief on the circumstances of their deaths
as a means to healing, to have closure. Their names should be released
for proper honour as obtains in other climes.
"We take exception to what is to all intent, a secret burial of our
fallen heroes. Those responsible for the safety of our troops should
be sanctioned for this failure and measures must be put in place to
prevent further deaths and damage to the morale of our troops. We
question why the current status of our defence budget is at variance
with the safety and wellbeing of our troops in this fight against Boko
Haram.
"We still stand on the demand we have made previously, for the federal
government to institute a monthly Counter-Terrorism Status Report to
the Nigerian Public."
The group demanded to know the federal government's strategy to stop
the killings and abductions.
"This insurgency is more than eight years, when will Nigeria's enemy
be truly defeated? When will our 112 #ChibokGirls be rescued? When
will #LeahSharibu (an abductee) come home?"
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