Saturday, June 1, 2024 - The Abia State Government has placed a N25m bounty on the killers of five soldiers in the Aba area of the state on Thursday, May 30.
Unknown gunmen on Thursday attacked the
military unit at Obikabia Junction, Ogbor Hill area, killing the five soldiers
and setting the unit on fire.
A day after the incident, the state
government described the incident as unfortunate and prayed for the repose of
the souls of the gallant soldiers who died on active duty.
A statement by the state Commissioner for
Information and Culture Okey Kanu, disclosed that a bounty has been placed on
the suspected killers of the soldiers.
“To underscore its resolve, the State
Government is offering a N25 million (Twenty-five Million Naira) reward to
anyone with useful information that could lead to the location and arrest of
any of the criminals connected to the unfortunate killings, and the subsequent
state of apprehension across the city of Aba and environs.
The security
formations in the State have been directed to treat informants with all the
confidentiality required to guarantee their full cooperation and assistance
until the criminals are fully apprehended and brought to book.”
Meanwhile, the military authorities had
earlier confirmed the attack which it blamed on terrorists suspected to be the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security
Network (ESN). In a statement released, the defence spokesman, Major General
Edward Buba, said it would retaliate for the killing of its men.
“The armed forces mourn the death of these
troops as each and every soldier lost in battle is a terrible loss. Meanwhile,
investigations are ongoing concerning the attack. Overall, it must be
reiterated that the lifeline of the terrorist is the people and this situation
is no exception. Winning the war without the support of the people is close to
impossible. The IPOB capitalized on this to perpetrate attacks on the troops.
The situation leaves more to be desired.
Accordingly,
it is imperative that the military retaliate against this dastardly act against
troops. The military would be fierce in its response. We would bring
overwhelming military pressure on the group to ensure their total defeat,” the
statement read.
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