By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
A Kwara State-born Nigerian Army Major, Segun Oni Abiodun, has been identified as one of the military officers that paid the supreme price in an encounter with bandits in Niger State last week.
Major Oni, said to be a native of Eruku in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, was killed in an anti-banditry military operation in Niger State.
The governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbduRahman AbdlkRazaq, in a condolence message to the family of the slained officer said, “Major Oni, a well-decorated and forthright army officer, was killed on August 13, 2023, alongside other soldiers as he led troops on a military operation to stamp out banditry in parts of Niger State.
“He was at various times the Platoon Commander, 72 Special Forces Battalion; Company Second in Command Armed Forces Special Forces Battalion; and Second in Command Defence Headquarters Special Operations Forces Battalion.”
Highlighting the profile of late Major Oni further, the governor said, “He was trained in different military schools in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Belarus, and South Africa. He won several military medals for his excellence, discipline, and hard work, including River Niger Star, RNS; Golden Jubilee Medal, GJM; Centenary Medal, CM; and General Operations Medal, GOM.
AbdulRahman expressed his heartfelt condolences to family of the gallant officer, the Nigerian Army, and to the Nigerian Defence Headquarters as a whole, saying, “His death represents a huge loss to the country as a whole and to Kwara State in particular.”
He prayed to God to repose his soul and give comfort to his family and everyone who mourned him.
