Slain Army Officer: Presidency neglect us, family cries out

– The brother of Colonel Otobrise Umusu wrote a letter to the presidency

– He noted that his family has been duly contacted following the death of their sibling

– Army chief were accused of abandoning the family during their mourning period

Mr. Odiriviroro Umusu who is the younger brother of Colonel Otobrise Umusu who was killed by Boko Haram terrorists has written a touching letter to President Muhammadu Buhari accusing him and army chiefs of disrespecting his family.

According to Sahara Reporters, Odiriviroro also accused Major-General Yusuf Tukur Buratai, the chief of army staff, and Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, chief of defence staff of failing to appreciate the service rendered by his late brother.

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Lieutenant-Colonel Umusu was killed when his vehicle ran over Improvised Explosive Device placed by Boko Haram terrorists on Monday, December 12.

colonel

Colonel Otobrise Umusu was killed by Boko Haram

In the letter dated Wednesday, December 14, the brother of the deceased said the widow, Mrs. Ufuoma Joe Umusu and other members of the family have not been contacted by the army authority to offer condolence.

He wrote: “My brave brother sacrificed his life and future with his family to make yours and every Nigerian’s today safe. In my humble opinion, we deserve your acknowledgement and appreciation and, as a former Army officer, I know you appreciate the sacrifice involved in serving your country and it saddens me that in over 24 hours after the passing of my brother, a call has not been made to my family.

“I do not, under any circumstance, believe this is too much to ask for the falling heroes of our beloved country Nigeria,”

He noted that his brother joined the army at a young age and served until he died in the line of duty.

“The late Lieutenant-Colonel Umusu was in the Nigeria Military School, Zaria, from 1991 to 1996, served with the Army Intelligence Corps from 1996 and 1997 and was at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, from 1997 to 2002, when he was commissioned as an officer in the Infantry Corps.

From 2002 to 2016, he served in Takum, Taraba State, Sierra Leone, Ibadan, Niger Delta, Army Headquarters in Abuja and Maiduguri, where he died in active service.”

“Your Excellency, if you are reading this, the name Umusu will ring a bell, as my father, Brigadier-General Sylvester Ugege Umusu, served under you and worked with you when you headed the Petroleum Trust Fund.

“My family has served Nigeria in her armed forces and continues to do so. We have paid the greatest price for that service: the very young life of my beloved brother Lieutenant Colonel Otobrise Umusu, who was killed in action.”

He said the family wanted answers to some questions surrounding the young colonel’s death.

READ ALSO: Nigerians mourn Lieutenant Colonel killed by Boko Haram

“When will an investigation be conducted, if at all there will be any? Why did his Lieutenant-Colonel Umusu’s team not have the right equipment to stop him from bleeding to death? What lessons can be learnt from the occurrence? What is being done to stop funding to Boko Haram? Why is it impossible to use the forensic skills deployed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to track weapon, vehicle and general equipment purchases made by Boko Haram since such must leave paper trails?

“Your Excellency, you may deem this letter as disrespectful and not the right procedure in dealing with this matter, but in my humble opinion, we deserve to know the who, what and why that happened to our brother on that terrible day and as his Commander-in-Chief, you are ultimately responsible for reaching out to all the families of our fallen heroes to assure them their loved ones did not die in vain.”