Army, Enugu Community Differ On Alleged Killings By Soldiers

Tension has enveloped Eke community of Enugu State over alleged killings by soldiers.

The troops reportedly killed a volunteer member of the neighbourhood vigilante group and a housewife.

There were also claims that the soldiers shot several of the villagers, who are recuperating in a hospital visited by journalists.

But the authorities of the Nigerian Army refuted the allegations and said the female victim was hit by a bullet from armed robbers who engaged their soldiers in a gun duel.

Journalists who visited the community and hospital (name withheld) where the victims are currently receiving medical attention, were told that the ugly development has instilled fear into the residents and has made then to stop going to their farms.

The soldiers, were said to have equally shot three other members of the local security outfit at close range, leaving them with various degrees of bullet injuries, including one whose penis was completely shattered.

The director-general of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, immediate past minister of foreign affairs, Mr  Geoffery Onyeama, and a chieftain of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) Barrister Godwin Onwusi, who ran for the Udi North state constituency in the just concluded 2023 general election hail from the community.

 Mr Ebuka Oke, the deceased shot dead during the alleged attack by the soldiers, was said to have lost his father exactly one month on the same day he was killed.

The assistant chief security officer of Eke Security Neighbourhood Vigilante Watch, Mr Emeka Anigbo, who had several gunshots all over his body and was in terrible pains told journalists who visited him  in his  hospital bed  that they were at 9th mile Conner on Thursday night where they had gone to felicitate with their colleagues who were being inaugurated as neighbourhood watch members, when they got a distress call that armed robbers  blocked the major road leading to the  popular Catholic Church Prayer Centre (Ugwudinso) and Eke, from Ama breweries.

He said on receiving the call, they abandoned the food and drinks they were about consuming, and swiftly drove out with a view to confronting the criminal elements, but due to heavy traffic gridlock occasioned by the blockage of the road, they could not get to the scene with their vehicle.

He said they decided to park their vehicle along the road, and started moving towards the place, and that while approaching the scene, they saw three armed soldiers who ordered them to stop.

He stated that they obeyed the soldiers and identified themselves, saying that they were neighbourhood vigilante watch guard, adding that they were then asked by the soldiers to keep coming.

He continued that when they got closer, the soldiers started firing at them, killing one of them.

He claimed the soldiers shot dead the wife of one of those who were inaugurated at 9th Mile, who was on a motorcycle with her husband going back to Eke.

Efforts to speak with Chinedu Okolo, whose manhood was shattered by the soldiers’ bullets failed, as he could not utter a word to journalists due to severe pains, just as the third victim, Obinna Offor was also seen passing through excruciating pains, while under oxygen support at the intensive care unit (ICU).

Some natives of Eke Community, who spoke on condition of anonymity condemned the unprofessional conducts of the soldiers in strong terms, describing it as barbaric and callous and called for independent investigation.

When contacted, the deputy director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu, described as untrue the narrative of the victims, saying from the available information in the Division’s disposal, the deceased woman was killed by a stray bullet from armed hoodlums who engaged the soldiers in a shootout.

He stated that the troops received a distress call that some criminal elements were operating along the Eke road, and they immediately rushed to the scene, adding that  on sighting the soldiers the hoodlums opened fire on them, but the security operatives overpowered them, leading to the arrest of one of them, and recovering of two pump action guns and some live bullets, after some ran into a nearby bush.

The 82 Division spokesman, who said he has no information regarding the second deceased, added that it was in the course of the exchange of fire between the troop and the hoodlums that a stray bullet got the deceased housewife who was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, later died.

“So, there is no iota of truth in the information being peddled around that it was soldiers that killed the deceased. Our men only rushed to the scene to salvage the situation, after receiving a distress call,” he insisted.

“It’s unfortunate that the woman died, if not, she would have been in the best position to narrate exactly what happened,” he added.

He assured that the Division is going to carry out proper investigation on the incident, so as to unravel what actually transpired.

But, a native of the community, who do not want his name in print has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to constitute a panel of inquiry to carry out thorough investigation on the unfortunate incident.