The Defence Headquarters has said that the Nigerian Military has no secret graveyards in the North East theater of operation as reported in an online article by “Wall Street Journal”.
The director defence information, Onyema Nwachukwu, stated this following the article’s insinuation which he said could only emanate from an uninformed position of the author of the said publication.
He said it has become necessary to inform the public that “the Armed Forces of Nigeria has a rich and solemn tradition for the interment of our fallen heroes.
“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.”
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According to him, all fallen heroes are duly honoured and paid the last respect in befitting military funeral of international standard, in tandem with the traditions of the Armed Forces.
He further stated that the burials feature 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 said: “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.
“The official cemetery has played host to several national and international dignitaries, where wreaths were laid in honour of the fallen heroes.”
He therefore urges members of the Armed Forces and the general public to disregard the 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.”
