Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali has described the death of Lt.-Col. Muhammad Abu Ali as a tragic and unfortunate development in the theatre of operations against the Boko Haram insurgents.

This is contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer to the minister, Col. Tukur Gusau in Abuja yesterday.

Gusau said the minister received the sad news of the death of Lt.-Col. Abu Ali, while in Sokoto and prayed Allah to grant the war hero eternal rest. Also Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has expressed shock and sadness over the death of Abu Ali, an indigene of the state, who was killed in an ambush by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno on Friday.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs Petra Akinti-Onyegbule yesterday in Lokoja, the governor described the death of army commander as “unfortunate and a monumental loss to Kogi state and Nigeria.”

Both the federal government and Kogis state commiserated with father of the deceased, the Etsu Bassa Nge Kingdom, retired Brig.-Gen. Abu Ali and prayed God to give him and the entire people of Bassa the fortitude to bear the loss.

He is a member of the 50th Regular Course. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in 1998 and was commissioned on September 27, 2003. He was described by his colleagues as a gallant and brave soldier. He participated or even led many major operations in the North East, including the liberation of Mubi from the hands of Boko Haram.

He enjoyed an accelerated promotion from the rank of Major to Lieutenant Colonel and was decorated by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai at Gamboru Ngala on 9th September 2015 during an operational visit. He did YOC Armour, YOC Infantry, Platoon Commander’s Course, Tank Auto Instructor’s Course, Junior Divisions Course, Scorpion Conversion Course, Command and Staff Officers Operational Skills Corps.

He participated in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), United Missions in Darfur (UNMO), among others.

Credit: dailytrust