Hauwa Ali, the wife of the late Lt Col A.H Ali, says she will not allow any of her children to join the military following the gruesome death of her husband in Okuama community of Ughelli South local government area of Delta State.
Ali’s widow made the statement during an interview with journalists, saying that her late husband had already sacrificed himself for Nigeria.
Recall that the federal government, the Nigerian army, and Nigerians as a whole received with shock the deaths of 17 military personnel on a peace mission as Okuama and Okoloba engaged in communal clashes.
The officers and soldiers died on Thursday, March 14, 2024, when they were ambushed by gunmen, who also carted away their weapons.
The army has vowed to fish out the assailants and bring them to justice, while some eminent Nigerians have called for an independent probe of the matter.
Speaking about the dignified personality and selfless service of her late husband, Ali, the Commanding Officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, Hauwa said, “Words cannot describe him because he was everything to us. He was a man of his words, dedicated to both his family and work.
“Apart from his family, he sacrificed his life for Nigeria, and that’s the price he has paid. I pray that wherever he is, God, will continue to be with him.
“His dedication to humanity is one thing I will always remember. No matter how he was, once he was called to work, he would make sure he fulfilled it.”
When asked if she would allow some of her children to join the military in the future, she said, “I will not advise any of his children to be in the military. Their father has already sacrificed his life for the country.”
Hauwa said Ali’s murder devastated her, adding that she never knew the peace mission he went to would be his last assignment for the country, as he called her when he was leaving.
“We know that death is inevitable. As Muslims, we have to die at some point, but I am really shattered by the way my husband was killed. He called me that very day and told me that he was going on a peace mission. I never knew that it was the last time we would speak. Nobody could call to tell me the news until Saturday. I was called from the State House,” she added.