Tension in Rivers community as vigilante kills soldier

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3 years ago

The atmosphere around the Obele community in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State is currently tensed up as members of a local security OSPAC were alleged to kill a soldier over the weekend.

Information made available to our reporter on Monday afternoon has it that angry soldiers and policemen now parade the community.

The soldier, Collins Worehuwho was said to have been killed on Saturday night, March 5, was also a native of the Obele community.

The incident happened exactly three months after OSPAC in Omanwa in Ikwerre local government area shot dead Airforce personnel who went to demand the freedom of his brother on January 7.

A former caretaker Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), in Obele and a former DPO, Eze Israel Anele, who is the deceased soldier’s uncle told journalists that the soldier was on his way home at about 10:30 pm on Saturday night when he ran into the members of OSPAC holding some of his relatives.

Anele disclosed that the soldier alighted from the vehicle and approached the vigilante members, who were about eight in number, to enquire about the reason behind their action and asked that the victims be set free.

He said that an argument ensued as the vigilante members asked the soldier and his friend who works in a Correctional Centre to stay off their business.

He said; “OSPAC members ordered the soldier, his friend and those they had held captive to lie face down. An order which the soldier refused. The blunt refusal angered the vigilantes as one of them pulled out his rifle and shot him twice, one on the head and another on the chest, while other of his relatives sustained gunshot injuries.”

He claimed that after killing the soldier and injuring others, they stole the mobile phones, monies and other personal effects he brought back from peacekeeping operations in Northern Nigeria.

The retired DPO further said the sound of gunshots attracted the attention of the youths of the community who immediately ran to the scene of the tragic incident.

According to Anele, “Angry youths in the community on hearing the news of the soldier’s death mobilised and went to the OSPAC office and destroyed it, while the members of the vigilante and their commander escaped for their lives. They are suspected to have run into the forest where they carry out illegal bunkering business.”

He also revealed that the OSPAC members had deserted the village while the police and the Nigerian Army are in the community in search of the OSPAC members.

The murdered soldier, Collins Worehu, is serving in Niger State but came home on permission from the authority of the Nigerian Army.

The case has been reported at the Rumuji Police Division but the spokesperson of the State Police Command, PPRO Grace Iringe-Koko also said she had been waiting for the Army 6 Division’s reaction to the unfortunate incident, promising to make the position known thereafter.

However, the spokesman of the 6 Division Nigerian Army, Lt.Colonel Charles Ekeocha neither picked up his calls nor responded to text messages sent to his mobile phone seeking the Nigerian Army’s position on the incident.

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