The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said it is dismayed over a news report that the Nigerian Military maintains secret graveyards in the North East theatre of operation.
A statement on Thursday from the Defence spokesman, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, said, “This insinuation can only emanate from an uninformed position of the author of the said publication.”
He reiterated that it is necessary to inform the public that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has a rich and solemn tradition for the interment of our fallen heroes.
He said, “Therefore, it must be unambiguously clarified that the Armed Forces of Nigeria does not indulge in secret burials, as it is sacrilegious and profanity to extant ethos and traditions of the Nigerian military.”
Nwachukwu said in tandem with the traditions of the Armed Forces, Fallen heroes are duly honoured and paid the last respect in befitting military funeral of international standard, featuring a funeral parade, gravesite oration, solemn prayers for the repose of departed souls by Islamic and Christian clerics, as well as gun salutes, aside from other military funeral rites.
He stated that the cemetery described in the publication, which is situated in Maimalari military Cantonment is an officially designated military cemetery for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the North East theatre, with a Cenotaph erected in honour of our fallen heroes.
He said the official cemetery has played host to several national and international dignitaries, where wreaths were laid in honour of the fallen heroes.
He said the Defence Headquarters urges members of the Armed Forces and the general public to disregard such a misinformed publication and see it as a figment of the imagination of the writer, whose knowledge of military valued ethos and traditions is grossly misplaced.
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