The Nigerian Army, reacting on Sunday to the allegation that its soldiers invaded Nnamdi Kanu’s environs, and shot one IPOB member, said its officers were only parading a new armoured carrier through Nnamdi Kanu’s residence. Hmmm, so Umuahia is the right place to show strength instead of Sambisa Forest?
In any case, the Nigerian Army on Sunday said its personnel fired warning shots to disperse hoodlums who lobbed stones and broken bottles against them during the said procession in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Despite, a man who was seen in the video shot by the soldiers, the army denied that no one was shot.
The Army said in a statement, “The attention of 14 Brigade Nigerian Army has been drawn to fictitious news going round especially on the social media that troops have invaded the home of Nnamdi Kanu and killed three persons.
“This is far from the truth. Rather, it was a group of suspected IPOB militants that blocked the road against troops of 145 Battalion while on show of force along FMC-Word Bank Road in Umuahia town, Abia State at about 6.00-6.30pm, today. They insisted that the military vehicles would not pass and started pelting the soldiers with stones and broken bottles to the point of injuring an innocent female passerby and a soldier, Corporal Kolawole Mathew.
“The troops fired warning shots in the air and the hoodlums dispersed. No life was lost,” the Army said in a statement signed by Oyegoke Gbadamosi, a major and assistant deputy spokesperson of the 14 Brigade.”
In case, we have forgotten that we are in a democracy, citizens have the right to protest a provocative military presence. In such a situation, what is expected of trained soldiers is to show caution and not to start shooting sporadically. What happened to rubber bullets!
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