WHY BODIES OF FALLEN SOLDIERS NOT GIVEN TO FAMILIES – MINIMAH

Military authorities in Abuja on Tuesday said soldiers who die in battle are buried at the closest cemetery to the theatre of war and not given to their families for burial.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah, explained while responding to a question on why the military bury their fallen heroes in secret without celebrating them.
He spoke in Abuja at the ministerial press conference that kick-started the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day 2015 with theme “Appreciating the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
General Minimah said: “I disagree with you. There is no discreet burial; they are either well attended or poorly attended. Now if it’s a burial at the national cemetery of course it will come with fanfare.
“Officers and soldiers who are killed in action, who fall in the battle front, are not taken home for burial, they are buried in the cemeteries closest to the theatre of war that’s the policy of the Nigerian Army,” he added.
He also said: “But burials are done with the proper military rites and professionalism. In most cases members of the family were invited, particularly the next of kin to witness this.
“I know there has been some level of agitation by some families aspiring to take custody of their deceased wards or relative for burial at home, we declined them,” General Minimah said.
Also responding on the amount of money gathered through pledges in past Armed Forces Remembrance Days celebrations, Chairman of the Nigeria Legion, Colonel Micah Gaya, said most of those who made pledges have not redeemed them.
He said: “As I stand here, out of N105 million pledged during the emblem launch in December last year, only N20 million has been redeemed and N85 million is outstanding.”
Source: Daily Trust