Slain Soldier’s Family Petitions Army Over Non-Payment Of Benefits

The family of late private Garba Umar, a Nigerian soldier who was killed in active service while serving at a peace keeping mission in Sudan has petitioned the Nigeria Army authorities over the failure of the government to release the death benefit of their son to them. In a petition addressed to the Minister of Defence titled, “Petition over the non-payment of the death benefits of late PTE Garba Umar 2001NA/1115 by Army authorities” Solicitor to the family, Ibrahim Bako said since the death of the soldier, all efforts by the family to get his death benefit had proved abortive.
In the petition which was also copied to the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff, the family decried that life had become difficult and unbearable since the death of the late soldier who was the bread winner to the family before his death.
The family averred that the failure of the government to pay the family the death benefit has compounded their woes and wondered why the authorities have remained silent in paying the benefit of a soldier who served his fatherland meritoriously and died in service.