President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday expressed “profound grief and sorrow’’ over the loss of 47 soldiers who were ambushed by Boko Haram terrorists in Gorgi Village, Borno State.
The Director of Defence Information, Major General John Enenche, had on Tuesday revealed in Abuja that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole were on clearance and fighting patrol operation to Gorgi in Borno between March 21 and 23 when they were ambushed.
President Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, condoled with the families of the deceased.
The President assured that the “sacrifices of our gallant patriots cannot be quantified, and their sacrifices cannot go in vain.”
President Buhari admitted that the death of every soldier causes deep pains as he knows what it means to be a soldier, and fully understands the extreme risks associated with the profession.
This is, he said “despite the tragedies and incidents, we cannot allow anarchists and mass murderers to hold the country hostage.’’
The President enjoined the military “not to allow the incident to affect their morale’’, giving assurance that his administration will continue to motivate and equip them adequately to cope with the complex challenges of unconventional warfare.
The Nigerian Army has dispatched a team to assess the situation and report back to the government.