Commander, 14 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ohafia, Brigadier-General Olusola Diya, has said the Nigerian Army will arrest the killers of five military personnel in Aba, Abia State.
They were killed last Wednesday by gunmen suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who had declared a sit-at-home to mark the yearly Biafra Day.
Diya gave the assurance when Abia State governor Alex Otti visited the headquarters of 144 Battalion of the Army, Asa, Ukwa West local government to commiserate with widows of the five soldiers.
The five died when the killers enforcing a sit-at-home order by Biafra agitators attacked troops of “Operation UDOKA” deployed on Obikabia Junction Checkpoint, Obingwa local government of the state.
“We have been gathering intelligence to bring whoever is directly or remotely connected to the killing to book,” Diya said, adding, “The attackers also burnt two military vehicles and carted away weapons.”
Earlier, the governor said, “The state government will continue to condemn the dastardly act committed by criminals who do not want any good for society.”
“Let me start by sending out words of sympathy to the Nigerian Army, the Brigade commander himself, and most importantly, the families of the five fallen heroes,” he said.
“It is in demonstration of this that the government has placed N25 million bounty on anyone with useful information that would lead to the apprehension of the criminals.
“It’s very sad, but then it has happened and because it has happened, we will need to move on, but we cannot move on without identifying those who are responsible,” he added.
He pledged that the government would work closely with the security agencies to ensure that no stone is left unturned in catching the preparators and bringing them to justice.
“We’re going to work as we have always done with the security agencies particularly the intelligence units to ensure that we leave no stone unturned,” he said.
Otti was accompanied by the state House of Assembly speaker, Hon Emmanuel Emeruwa, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, and the governor’s chief of staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, among other aides.
