Gunmen Kill Nigerian Soldier In Delta

Palpable fear has gripped residents of riverine Egbema Kingdom in Warri North Council Area of Delta State as unknown gunmen reportedly killed a military personnel in the area last
week, BigPen Online can report.

The incident which happened on October 12, 2018, have triggered fear of possible military onslaught in the area.

It was not clear what led to the alleged killing of the soldier but Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs have asked the military authorities to fish out the perpetrators.

All efforts by BigPen Online to get reactions from the Coordinator of Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC) of the JTF, Major Ibrahim Abdullahi were unsuccessful as he fails to respond to message sent to his mobile phone at press time on Sunday.

But the Egbema Traditional Council of Chiefs disclosed that the killing was executed by some ‘unknown persons’, who many not be indigene of the area.

According to the council, the killing of the military personnel on duty was alien to the people, describing the act as “a very barbaric and criminal in nature as it is foreign to Egbema tradition and culture”.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Chief Dave M. Bubor and Secretary, Chief J.P Owilly and obtained by BigPen Online, they condemned the killing of the officer in its entirety, saying: “the people of Egbema kingdom enjoin the army to fish out the culprit and make them face the full wrath of the law.

“This singular act has put the innocent law-abiding citizens of the kingdom under severe threat and emotional trauma”, they said adding, “we implore the army to use their wealth of experience to handle the situation to ensure that innocent citizens do not suffer untold hardship and be allowed to go about their normal businesses”.

The Egbema Council of Chiefs thanked the army for the professional manner they have handled the matter so far and further condole and sympathize with the family of the decease and the Nigerian Army at large.

The statement also called for patience on the part of the military authorities with the people and charged those with useful information that can lead to the arrest of the culprits to divulge same to the appropriate authorities immediately to save innocent indigenes from unwarranted trauma and difficulties.