Three soldiers of the 14 Brigade Headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Ohafia, attached to the 144 Battalion, have been killed after gunmen attacked them in Aba, Abia State.
The South East Governors’ Forum decried the Thursday morning’s incident.
Attackers, also, burnt down security patrol vehicles, while enforcing the sit-at-home directive meant to commemorate Biafra Day, a day devoted to marking Nigeria’s defunct breakaway section and Igbo travails in the two years of Civil War (6th July 1967 – 15th January 1970).
The South East Governors’ Forum has decried Thursday morning’s incident, which led to murder of two soldiers at a checkpoint in Aba, Abia State.
The soldiers were killed Thursday morning, May 30, at the Army outpost located at the Obikabia junction off Umuola in Aba North Local Government Area.
The masked gunmen, riding in a black-coloured SUV, reportedly took the soldiers unawares.
The gunmen carted away with the soldiers’ guns and burnt their patrol van and outpost.
Following the attack, military aircraft was sighted hovering around the city centre.
Sit-At-Home: South East Governors Condemn Killing Of Soldiers In Abia by Dapromzy333(m): 7:36am
Addressing newsmen in Owerri, Imo State capital, on Thursday, Chairman of the Forum, and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, described the attack as “unfortunate”.
“On behalf of my brother governors in the South East Governors’ Forum, I condemn that incident and loss of the lives of soldiers who were on their duty posts.
“Without any provocation, they were attacked by the men of the underworld.
“The unfortunate thing is that it is going to act as a major setback to the peace process being pursued by the governors from the zone with the Federal Government, security agencies and other critical stakeholders on how best to resolve the problem of security in the region.”
He condoled with the Chief of Army Staff and the families of soldiers who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
“We here in the South East will ensure that we leave no stone unturned to ensure peace needed for development in the region,” he added.
Uzodimma noted that people of the South East, out of fear of the unknown and memories of the past, obeyed the directive of the proscribed group.
He urged them, particularly those in Imo, to find courage and understand that a lot had gone to providing security for them.
The Governor said: “We have peace in Imo; I want people to go about their businesses without fear of being molested by anyone.
“We are after the perpetrators. Those who think we shouldn’t live should not live.”
