Army reveals graves of slain soldiers – TheNigerialawyer

The Nigerian Army on Friday released the photographs of the
graves of Lance Corporal Adah Tamuno named in a Wall Street Journal
report and those of other soldiers buried in Maimalari Military
Cemetery in Maiduguri, Borno State, in November 2018.

The army insisted that it did not bury any soldiers without the
knowledge of their families, adding that Adah and others were
buried in the presence of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur
Buratai.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, and Operation Lafiya
Dole, Col Ado Isa, who released 26 photographs, said in a statement
that the last burial done by the army was on July 18, after “Col
E.E. Elemele and five soldiers were killed along Jakana-Benisheik
road” in Borno in a Boko Haram ambush a day before.

The Wall Street Journal claimed in its report on Wednesday the
corpses of soldiers were buried in unmarked graves at night.

The report quoting soldiers and military officers as its sources
claimed the secret graveyard and an official cemetery at Maimalari
both “hold the bodies of at least 1,000 soldiers killed since the
terror groups began an offensive last summer.”

The report said Mercy, wife of Adah Tamuno, was told that her
husband was killed by Boko Haram, and when she demanded to see
where he was buried, she was taken to a spot in the cemetery marked
with a plastic bottle with her husband’s name written on it.

However, the army released the photographs of the graves of Adah
and eight others killed in the November 2018 Metele attack, saying
they were buried with a 21-gun salute in the presence of their
families.

Isa said, “The Maimalari Military Cemetery is the only
recognised place where burials are held in the theatre. The stretch
of land where the cemetery is located and beyond belongs to the
army and it was not taken from any person or a group of people as
claimed.

“Burial procedures in the army are entrenched in the army
administrative policies and procedures. The procedures are
triggered by first notifying the headquarters and the next of kin
of the deceased personnel for coordination. It is a command
responsibility and attended by officers and soldiers of the unit
within the theatre. The timing for all burials in the theatre has
always been before the flags are lowered in the evening.

“The Maimalari cemetery is partitioned into two to accommodate
both Christians and Islam faithful. The graves are also
partitioned, and grave pegs placed to mark each grave. All the
deceased are also honoured with a 21-gun salute in line with the
ethics and traditions of the army.”

He added, “The questions are: where, when, why and for what
reason would 1,000 bodies be hidden without anyone seeing them or
perceiving the smell. The report that one Mercy Tamuno, who
demanded to see where her husband was buried, was led to a spot
marked with a plastic bottle is unbelievable. Interestingly,
13NA/70/9866, Adah Tamuno, was serving with 119 Task Force
Battalion at Metele and died during combat.

“He was officially buried on November 29, 2018, alongside his
colleagues. The last burial in the theatre was on July 18 at the
Maimalari Military Cemetery in accordance with Islamic rites. The
burial was attended by the families of the deceased and other
sympathisers.”

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