The Neo Black Movement (NBM) of Africa has condemned Saturday’s ambush of officers of the Nigeria Army by the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) terrorists in which Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkusu and three other soldiers were killed.
The Pan-Africanist organisation, through its spokesperson, Mr Oluwatosin Dixon, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed shock at the development and prayed that: “Almighty God accept the souls of the departed and grant them paradise.”
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It called for a thorough investigation into the recent death of a Nigerian journalist and the Vanguard Newspaper’s House of Representatives correspondent, Tordue Salem, who was reported missing, but later found dead.
The police later attributed Tordue’s death to a case of ‘hit and run’, while a suspect was later paraded as the driver of the vehicle that killed the journalist.
Dixon, who commended the military on the good job it is doing in keeping the country safe, urged it not to be discouraged, but to double its efforts.
“The NBM joins in condoling the President and Commander-in-Chief, the Nigeria Army, Nigerians and the immediate families of the senior Army Commander and the three of his yet-to-be-named soldiers, who have paid the supreme price in the defence of their fatherland.
“We encourage the gallant soldiers of the Nigeria Armed Forces to remain strong in the battle to defeat terrorism.
“NBM hopes that the federal government brings the perpetrators to justice while working to forestall a recurrence”, he said.
Zirkusu who was Commander, 28 Task Force Brigade in Chibok, Borno State, was killed in an ambush while leading his soldiers to reinforce troops who came under attack in Askia Uba, by the ISWAP terrorists.