Police in Ebonyi State and local sources have confirmed the killing of both a soldier and a suspected gunman in an early morning attack at a military checkpoint in the State.
It was gathered that the suspected gunmen stormed the military checkpoint in Amangwu village, on the Amasiri – Owutu road of Edda Local Government Area, and allegedly opened fire on the personnel on duty post, killing a soldier. In contrast, one of the suspected gunmen was said to be equally killed.
A local source in the area said the incident occurred as early as 5 a.m. this Friday but is quoted as claiming that the civilian killed in the incident was a motorcycle operator and not one of the suspected gunmen who attacked the soldiers.
The Ebonyi State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Joshua Ukandu, has confirmed the violent armed attack on the Amangwu Edda military checkpoint.
Ukandu said that information available from the Owutu Edda Police Division revealed that some hoodlums attacked the military checkpoint in the early hours of Friday, shooting sporadically.
He said that though it was not yet sure if there were casualties, “the attack was carried out by yet-to-be-identified Gunmen operating in a motorcycle.”...[CONTINUE READING HERE ▶▶]
The attack on the military checkpoint in Edda Local Government Area, about 2 hour’s drive South of Abakaliki, the State capital, was said to have caused panic and apprehension in the area as locals, motorists, and commuters plying the Federal Road waited for hours for normalcy to return on the route.
Some community leaders are attributing the attack to sabotage, alleging that it is aimed at inciting a crisis of confidence and bad blood between the people and military, thereby disrupting the peaceful and convivial atmosphere being enjoyed in the area over two years now due to the presence of the military personnel.
They are, therefore, calling for a collaboration between the security agencies and stakeholders in the area to apprehend the suspected gunmen.
The Nigerian Army is yet to speak on the incident.
