The Nation Newspaper

Tag: soldiers

  • Three die as soldiers clash with Police in Aba

    Three persons were on Friday reported dead in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State as personnel of the Nigerian Army attached to the Ngwa High School Forward Operation Base (Charlie Coy) and personnel of Mobile Police Force (PMF 55) unit in Osisioma Local Government Area of the State.

    While a yet to be confirmed report has it that a police officer’s hand was severed in the shootout, another report has it that two mobile policemen and a soldier died in the melee.

    It could be recalled that in 2015, soldiers from Ngwa High School FOB and policemen of PMF 55 clashed at the same Osisioma junction, leaving a policeman who was hit by a bullet during crossfire that lasted for about thirty minutes dead.

    While efforts to reach both police and army hierarchy in the state until the time of this report failed to yield fruits as the State Commissioner of Police and the spokesman of the Command, Michael Ogbizi and Geoffrey Ogbonna were yet to reply to a text message our correspondent sent to their phones.

    Sources who claimed to have witnessed the incident feared that incident which caused pandemonium at the major exit and entrance route into the commercial nerve of the state also wounded many passersby.

    According to one Chinyere Ikem, the incident forced many shop owners to quickly close for business while many petty traders along the Expressway abandoned their wares to scamper for safety as lorry load of mobile and regular policemen arrived the scene that is already charged with gunshots.

    Ikem said that while some passengers going to different parts of the country that were yet to board vehicles to their locations were trapped in the shootout, others coming into the country, used alternative routes to avoid being caught in the web of the crisis.

    “It happened like what we used to watch in American movies. It happened in a flash and before you know what is happening, trucks of army and police vans were everywhere.

    Read Also:Court grants bail to seven Jewish worshippers in Abia

    Police and army were shooting themselves face-to-face. From what we later learnt, two policemen and a soldier died in the gun duel. It is better seeing that being told. I don’t know what is happening at this Osisioma junction. Don’t forget that some time ago, police and army clashed here and shoot at each other leaving one policemen dead.

    “I saw some people running with blood stain and I guess that they were hit be stray bullets. Police and army leadership in the state should call themselves to order. They are sister agencies and I don’t think that it is in their own interest to be fighting among themselves when they are supposed to be working hand in hand with each other especially as the state Governor is doing his best in tackling insecurity in the state,” Ikem stated.

    While normalcy has since returned to the area at the time our reporter visited the scene, shop owners were yet to open for business as people in clusters recount their experience of the incident.

    However in a swift reaction, Abia State Government in a press release through the commissioner of information in the state, Chief John Okiyi said that the state received with sadness “disturbing reports of an unfortunate confrontation between a group of soldiers and police officers at the Osisioma area of Aba earlier today (Friday June 15).”

    Okiyi who said that the state government was working with heads of security to bring the situation under control also assured that investigation was ongoing to know the cause of the incident and to fish out those behind the incident.

    “We are working with the heads of the concerned security agencies in the state to ensure that the situation, which has been brought under control, does not repeat itself or escalate within the state.

    “Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has also directed full investigation of the circumstances that led to the breach of public peace with a view to preventing future occurrence of such armed confrontation that endanger the lives of innocent citizens and security agents working in the state.

    “While we are currently working with law enforcement agencies to review the immediate and remote cause of the incidence, members of the public are advised to go about their normal duties as the situation around the area has been pacified.

    “Those responsible for this breach of public peace will certainly be unraveled and punished according the law,” Okiyi added.

  • Soldiers arrest kidnappers in Aba

    •Victim rescued, guns recovered

    Soldiers attached to the 144 Battalion under the 14 Brigade headquarters of Nigerian Army in Ohafia, Abia State, have reportedly arrested three members of a kidnapping gang operating in Aba, the state’s commercial and its environs.

    The soldiers, our reporter gathered, also rescued a yet-to-be identified victim who was said to have been trapped inside the boot of the car driven by the gang.

    They were also said to have recovered a cache of ammunition and guns the hoodlums allegedly used for the operation.

    It was learnt that the incident, which occurred on the busy Waterside Bridge on the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway, took passers-by by surprise. The victim was reportedly snatched after he left one of the new generation churches in Aba.

    Luck was said to have run out on the hoodlums when they were heading towards the outskirts of the commercial city and the soldiers, spurred by their hunch, asked the driver of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) to pull over.

    A source, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said the resistance of the gang members to the soldiers caused a traffic gridlock.

    The soldiers were said to have called for reinforcement and forced the gang members out of the car.

    In the process, some of the suspected kidnappers were injured.

    After overpowering the gang, the soldiers reportedly forced the boot of the car open and saw the victim trapped in it.

    The victim was said to have been rescued and the suspected kidnappers whisked away.

    A source at the army battalion, who pleaded not to be mentioned, confirmed the incident.

    The source said the victim had been reunited with his family while the suspects were being interrogated.

    The soldiers pledged to make the outcome of their investigation public as soon as they conclude investigation into the matter.

     

  • Soldiers rescue pastor, nursing mother in Aba

    •Cook arrested as Army recovers gun, stolen items

    Soldiers attached to the 144 Battalion under 14 Brigade headquarters in Ohafia have rescued the pastor of a Pentecostal church in Aba, identified as Rev. Daniel Obisike, and an unidentified nursing mother.

    The soldiers rescued them during a raid on a kidnappers’ hideout in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State.

    The soldiers from Ngwa High School Forward Operation Base (FOB), Charlie Coy, battled the kidnappers during the operation which lasted over three hours.

    It was learnt that the hoodlums operated around Ekeapkara in Umuojima communities of Osisioma Local Government Area and Omuma in Rivers State.

    The soldiers also reportedly arrested a woman undergraduate of the Federal Polytechnic at Nekede in Imo State, who they said cooked for the kidnappers.

    Sources at the Army base told our reporter that the soldiers recovered a locally-made pistol, a Dane gun and seven mobile phones suspected to have been stolen.

    One of the abductors was said to have died during crossfire with the soldiers as the hoodlums opened fire on sighting the security agents.

    Other gang members were suspected to have escaped with gunshot wounds.

    A source at the brigade headquarters told our reporter that the FOB operatives swung into operation following a tip-off.

    The source said four members of the gang were on the run, adding that they would soon be apprehended as military intelligence team had been working round the clock to bring them to justice.

  • Soldiers now live in civilian quarters?

    SIR: The job of a police officer is among the deadliest in the world. A police officer can die at a moment’s notice – even in peace time.  But the job of a soldier is deadlier and tenser than that of the police during periods of war. All soldiers are trained for war but not all units go to war. Even though all soldiers know they can die in war, no soldier ever wants to die. The ruse about a soldier wanting to, expecting and ready for death isn’t true.

    Has the army changed its recruitment strategy? Also its war efforts? Are soldiers now supposed to live side-by-side with civilians instead of being quartered in the barracks? I see many do so here in Abuja, rushing off to work everyday. Is the Army so broke now that it cannot acquire land to build barracks for our soldiers?

    A successful applicant into the army having passed the hoops on his paths, the thorns and tares of military interview, is assigned a department based on his skill, competence, capability and his choice of department. Why are they in civil quarters?  How can they hear the sound of the military bugle from civilian quarters in case of emergencies?

    In the barracks soldiers are quartered according to their units: Army Corp of Engineers, Signal Corp, Military Police, Supply and Transport, workshop, Military Intelligence, Medical, Education unit, Ordinance, Garrison, Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Artillery and more. Groups of soldiers on assignments are in: platoons (36), companies (100-120), battalions (1000), brigades (4000) and all are under a division (12000).

    Soldiers do not work with borders. And all units are a microcosm of the country. Soldiers have an unwritten rule, regardless of tribe a soldier thinks of unit and country first not ethnicity.

    They work through a sort of clairvoyance – and watch each other’s back instinctively regardless of ethnicity. After all – only soldiers speak soldiers’ language and lingo.

    Theirs is a hierarchical and authoritarian profession but not one centered on ethnicity to cause soldierly dysfunctions.

    I admit to having a vague idea of how soldiers are mobilized for war but having watched soldiers in the barracks where I was raised from close quarters, I never heard them say they were drafted on ethnic basis but on regiment, such as infantry etc., So how can you mobilize people far away in civilian quarters?

     

    • Simon Abah, Abuja.

  • Soldiers allegedly invade police station to free suspects

    Soldiers, attached to 6 Division, yesterday, broke into Ada George Police Station, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and freed suspected criminals.

    The incident reportedly followed the killing of a soldier by a police officer at a checkpoint.

    The incident, The Nation learnt, caused tension among residents and passersby.

    Police Commissioner Zaki Ahmed confirmed the death of the soldier.

    He described it as unfortunate, but debunked the allegation the military invaded the police station.

    However, a police source maintained that soldiers invaded the station and beat up policemen and civilians.

    He said: ”The soldiers first came and took the body of their colleague away. They returned later, opened the cells, freed suspects and beat up our men and civilians.”

    The source said the soldier was mistakenly killed because policemen at the checkpoint thought he was a criminal, as he was in mufti, armed and violent.

    The 6 Division spokesman Col Aminu Iliyasu said: “A statement by the Army and Police will be issued soon. It was an unfortunate incident. It is not true that soldiers chased away the policemen.”

  • Police debunk rumours of planned attack on mosques in Benue

    The Police Command in Benue has dismissed rumours of planned attacks on five mosques in Makurdi and other parts of the state as “untrue”.

    In a statement on Friday in Makurdi, the command said the rumours were the handiwork of mischief makers and urged members of the public to disregard them.

    “These are nothing but falsehood, believably meant to cause break down of law and order in the state.

    “It is indeed a difficult period; however, acts of insurgency being witnessed lately have nothing to do with religion, ethnicity or political alienation.

    “Therefore, in order to overcome the ongoing security challenges, the collaboration of all is required.

    “The command appreciates the calmness and understanding of the good people of the state.

    Read Also: Police attribute Offa robbery to intelligence breakdown

    “We appeal that criminal elements should not be allowed to cause any civil disturbance to achieve their selfish interest,” the statement said.

    The command appealed to members of the public to report all suspicious persons or group of persons to the police.

    Meanwhile, a correspondent of the newsmen who went round Makurdi town reports that security has been beefed up in the town, especially, around the mosques.

    Armed soldiers were also seen patrolling some major streets in the town but commercial and other activities were going on normally.

    NAN

  • 2019 elections: Buratai warns soldiers against partisan politics

    •Court martial to prosecute disobedient officers

    CHIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has warned officers and men of the Army to steer clear from the 2019 general elections, warning that anyone who compromises his calling will face the full wrath of the law.

    Buratai gave the warning yesterday during the COAS First Quarter Conference at the Army Command Officers Mess, Abuja.

    He announced that a Special Standing Court Martial that would prosecute officers and men dabbling into politics, compromising military ethics or playing a role in the forthcoming general elections would be set up.

    The COAS decried criticisms that have trailed some of the interventions and operations of the Army in some parts of the country, asserting that officers and men of the army are mandated to stay away from meddling in the 2019 general elections.

    Buratai said: “The NA must remain apolitical and professionally responsive in the discharge of its constitutional duties. GOCs and Field Commanders at all levels are, therefore, warned that anyone that runs afoul of his professional ethics will be appropriately dealt with.

    “You are all enjoined to continue to remind officers and soldiers under your command to remain non-partisan and be guided by the stipulated code of conduct and rules of engagement in the discharge of their duties, particularly in the coming 2019 general elections.

    “I have directed for a Special Standing Court Martial to be set up in preparation for the coming 2019 elections. I must warn that any NA personnel found hobnobbing with politicians or being partisan will be investigated and sent to the Special Standing Court Martial.

    “I must state that any officer or soldier who wishes to be sympathetic to a political, religious or ethnic group should voluntarily retire from the NA.

    “Further, all are reminded on the ban on any form of worship outside the barracks, except those permitted for wedding and other social events.”

    According to him “officers and soldiers must restrain themselves from any act of political, religious or ethnic patronisation as these would attract severe consequences. The fate of the 38 officers who were retired is still fresh in our memories.”

    “In this regard, issues of murder, arson and other serious crimes perpetrated by ethnic and local militias, criminals and miscreants must be dealt with decisively.  Commanders would be held responsible for any lapses arising from their actions or inactions,” the COAS stated.

    He said the army high command is aware of the constraints affecting some of the operations, stating that plans were underway to improve on the situation, particularly on procurement issues relating to the 2018 budget releases.

    Buratai said to cut cost, the Army would continue to patronise Nigerian-made hardware such as Innoson Motors, Proforce Nigeria and Nigerian Machine Tools among others.

    He also spoke on the partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government on leadership to be held at Harvard University, Boston, United States.

    Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP) Major-General R.O. Yusuf noted that the “Nigerian Army has continued to receive encomiums from several quarters on its performance in Operations Lafiya Dole, Sharan Daji and MESA”.

     

  • Troops kill 22 bandits, lose officer, soldier in cross fire

    The Nigerian Army on Thursday announced that 22  armed bandits have been killed, while a soldier and an Officer also lost their lives during a cross fire between the troops of the 232 Battalion, Zuru, and bandits.
    The Army Director of Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, said in a statement that the remains of the Officer and soldier have been evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau.
    Brig Gen. Chukwu said: “Troops of 232 Battalion Zuru while on clearance patrol on Wednesday 4 April 2018, encounter armed bandits and neutralize 21 at Tunga Daji in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
    “During the fierce battle many bandits escaped with gun shot wounds to the top of high ground close to the area. Weapons recovered are :5 AK 47 assault rifles, one Light machine gun, 5 magazines of AK 47 rifle and 35 rounds of 7,62mm special ammunition.
    “Unfortunately we lost an officer and a soldier during the encounter . The remains of  the officer and  soldier has been evacuated to Federal Medical Center Gusau.
    “Similarly troops deployed at Bena acted on a tip off and conducted raid operation at bandits Camp in Laka Village of Kebbi State and killed one of the bandit and recovered one AK 47 rifle with a magazine.
    “Troops have been mobilize  on special operation to comb the general area and arrest any fleeing bandit”.

  • 11 slain soldiers buried in Kaduna amidst tears 

    ….as Buratai vows to fish out killers

     

     

    The remains of the 11 slain soldiers killed by armed bandits at Kampanin doka village in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna State have been laid to rest amidst tears at the Commonwealth cemetery, Kaduna.

    Armed bandits attacked the said village on the 20th March, 2018 and in the process killed 11 soldiers who were deployed there on military operations against arm banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling among other forms of criminalities, code named “Exercise Ayem AKpatuma” (Cat Race).

    The late soldiers are, Private Olabode Hammed (Ogun state), Private Bamidele Adekunle Emmanuel (Ogun State), Private Owochukwu Christian Chigoziri (Rivers State), Private Adamu Muhammed (Bauchi State) Private Lamara Ahmed (Jigawa State), Private Mubarak Suleiman (Plateau State), Private Bashir Sani (Katsina State), Private Usman Abubakar Jalo (Gombe state), Private Nafiu Iliyasu (Jigawa State), Private Safiyanu Ahmed (Jigawa State) and Private Alhassan Ibrahim (Kaduna State).

    The chief mourner and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Army Headquarters Kaduna, Major General Mohammed Mohammed in his speech described the death of the soldiers as painful but a sacrifice and supreme prize for the people of Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State and Nigeria.

    While condoling the families of the deceased soldiers, he said the military will stop at nothing to fish out the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice accordingly.

    Meanwhile, he urged the deceased family not to be discouraged in sending their children to the army as a result of the death of the soldiers.

    “We will remain committed towards guaranteeing the peace and security of Nigeria and Nigerians regardless of situations such as this, we will not run away”.

    While assuring the family and next of kins of the deceased of military support, he further reiterated that their death is not and will not be in vain.

    “We will continue to fight against all forms of arm banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other criminalities in the country”.

    On his part, Kaduna state Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai represented by the Secretary to the State government Lawal Balarebe also expressed his condolence to the family of the deceased.

    The Governor who promised the support of the government also donated Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000:00) to each of the next of kin to the slain soldiers in a single cheque amounting to 5.5 million naira.

    Responding, one of the next of kin to the slain soldiers, Sani Leman Kila described their death as unfortunate and painful but attributes it to the will of God.

    Read Also: Burial for 11 soldiers killed in Kaduna

  • Two soldiers killed in Plateau violence

    Two soldiers died in the clash between Irigwe people and Fulani in Rafiki village behind Marxwel Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State.

    Two other soldiers escaped with injuries.

    Spokesman of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) Maj. Adams Umar said the soldiers were trying to maintain peace when they were hit.

    He said: “The affected soldiers died while trying to restore peace between the Fulani and Irigwe people in Rafiki village.

    “Two other soldiers who were injured are being treated in the hospital.

    “Eight suspects have been arrested. We have also deployed an aerial surveillance in the entire Bassa Local Government to contain the violence.”

    Governor Simon Lalong has imposed a curfew on the council.

    A statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Rufus Bature said: “In response to the disturbance in the Dong/Rafiki areas of Bassa council, Governor Simon Lalong has declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew as a way of quelling the disturbance.

    “Governor Lalong urges the communities to sheath their swords and allow the law take its course. This disturbance is the sixth in a series of attacks and counter attacks that have plagued Plateau since President Muhammadu Buhari’s visited last week.”