By Suleiman Anyalewechi.

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour  Party LP in the 2023 General Elections, Peter Obi, has condemned the gruesome kïllïng of five soldiers on duty at a military checkpoint in  Obikabia, Obingwa Local Council of Abia State. The soldiers were killed on Thursday, May 30, 2024, by gunmen.

The victims were part of military operatives who were drafted to maintain  peace and order amidst the sit -at -home order  imposed on  the South-east faction by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, to  mourn the  death of hundreds of  thousands of the Igbo during the Nigerian Civil war.

The former Anambra state Governor in a statement posted on his official site on Friday, May 31, also extended his sincere condolences to  the families of the fallen heroes,who he said have paid the ultimate price in service to the country.

While commiserating  and expressing  solidarity with  Governor Alex Otti and the  good people of Abia state, Obi noted that the ugly incident represents a stark reminder of the escalating insecurity and violence that have continued to plague the country .

“I am appalled and saddened by the attack on our brave soldiers in Abia State on Thursday May 30 ,2024, resulting in the death of five soldiers.

“The dastardly act remains condemnable as it is a stark reminder of the escalating insecurity and violence that have continued to plague our nation under our collective watch.

“My heart goes out  in solidarity and sincere condolences to my brother, Dr Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State and the good people of the State.

“More directly, my condolences to the families of the fallen heroes, who have paid the ultimate price in service to our country. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten and we owe it to them to demand accountability and justice .

“Our failure as a nation to protect our citizens and security personnel is a clear dereliction of duty and sign of deficiency of the  Nigerian State.

“The continued brutality and bloodshed in our nation must be met with swift and decisive actions ,not empty words and hollow promises.

“I condemn this atrocity in strong terms, and demand an immediate and thorough investigation into this crime in order to identify and punish the culprits.

“We must not stand idly by while our nation is torn apart by violence and fear.” Obi stated.”

By Akinwale Kasali

Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, has condemned the kïllïng of soldiers in Aba, Abia State during Thursday’s sit-at-home order imposed by the proscribed Indigenous People of Bïafra, IPŐB, across the South East of the Country.

The PDP Presidential Candidate at the 2023 Presidential Election said that despite the fact that the killing of the Soldiers is unacceptable, there was need for a political solution to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB.

Atiku added that exploring a political solution for Kanu, who is facing treason charges will help calm tension in the region.

“The violence that led to the killing of soldiers and civilians in Abia State on Thursday stands condemned.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who may have lost a loved one. May their souls rest in peace. But even more profound is the impact of yesterday’s sit-at-home in the Southeast region of our country on students writing WAEC examinations.

“The veil of the so-called Unknown Gun Men hiding undercover to unleash death and mayhem must be lifted to ensure that criminal elements are separated from legitimate agitators.

“To this end, without prejudice to the ongoing legal processes, I think the time has come to explore a political resolution to the Nnamdi Kanu and other associated issues. I believe that this will diffuse the compressor cooker situation in the region. It will be a win-win for all parties,” Atiku wrote on X Handle (formerly Twitter).

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

“We will respond appropriately”, vows Governor Otti

The Abia State Government has taken over the responsibilities of the families of the five Soldiers kïlled in Aba on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

The Soldiers, three of whom were Abia sons, include Captain Lucky Ikpeama, an only son of his parents who survived the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in Maiduguri for eights, only to be killed by his own brothers when he was redeployed to his State, Abia.

The Defence Headquarters in a statement by its Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said the Military will retaliate the  killing of its five personnel in Aba with fierce, overwhelming, force.

The Soldiers were at their duty post in the Obikabia area junction, Aba, when hoodlums, masquerading as members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, swooped on them in their scores, killed them and set their operational vehicles on fire.

The hoodlums were enforcing the sit-at-home order imposed on the South-east region from 29th to 31st May by IPOB through  an announcement by Emma Powerful, IPOB’s Spokesperson.

The order, IPOB said, is to mark the anniversary of the hundreds of thousands of the Igbo killed and/or starved to the death during  Nigeria’s Civil War.

The Soldiers were at their duty post to maintain peace when they were overwhelmed and killed.

The incident happened at about 7.30am when the gunmen, who operated in many SUV vehicles, arrived and killed the soldiers.

In its reaction on Friday to the sad incident, the Abia State Government expressed its sadness and rgret over the killing of the Soldiers and placed a N25 million bounty on the perpetrators of the crime.

The Government also said it would take up the responsibility of supporting the families of the soldiers. The responsibilities include  payment of regular stipends to their spouses, and the education of their children to University level.

The Government, in the statement signed by the Commissioner for  Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, also, condoled with the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, and the Military High Command in the country and prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the soldiers.

The statement reads in part:

“As a Government committed to security, safety and peace within its territory at all times, the Abia State Government considers the event of Thursday, May 30, 2024, a serious affront to its resolve by criminal elements who are hell-bent on returning Abia to the dark days of insecurity and fear amongst citizens, especially in Aba, the economic heartbeat of the State. This is more regrettable in the light of the fact that unprecedented investments have been made in the last one year to restore the city’s public infrastructure and reposition it as an attractive investment destination for local and foreign businesses.

“The Government will, therefore, respond appropriately to reassure citizens, investors and friends of Abia across the world that it would be relentless in bringing the full wrath of the law to bear on anyone or group who constitutes the slightest threat to the peace and security of the land, whatever be their motivation.

“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.

“Furthermore, the Abia State Government will, in line with its commitment to the welfare of the security operatives working within its territory, take up the responsibility of supporting the families of the slain soldiers, including payment of regular stipends to their spouses, and the education of their children to university level. It is the least the State can do for the soldiers who died in brave service to their fatherland.

“The Government will also like to specially appreciate the officers and men of the Nigerian Army in the State for maintaining a high sense of professionalism in their response to the very distressing event. The State will also encourage our military and security personnel to continue to show restraint, whether at the checkpoints, on patrol, or while engaged in other security duties, even as the Government continues to work with all relevant stakeholders, including the security high commands, traditional and community leaders to gather and process all intelligence information which will ultimately lead to the capture of the perpetrators of the heinous crime at Obikabia Junction, and anyone directly or remotely connected to it in any form.

“The Government wishes to use this medium to encourage citizens to go about their legitimate duties without fear as necessary measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of residents, and businesses in all parts of Abia. Individuals with useful information on the activities and movement of criminals in their neighbourhood are also advised to share such information with the security agencies as quickly as possible for necessary action.

“Traditional and community leaders in all parts of the State are by this communication advised to set up suitable local intelligence gathering mechanisms in their localities and share whatever new information they get with the security agencies regularly. The State Government shall not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law to bear on any traditional or community leader found to be harbouring criminal elements in their domains.

“Lastly, the Abia State Government will continue to give all necessary support to the security agencies in the State for the purpose of protecting lives and property. Very importantly, the earlier warning to criminal elements to consider all parts of Abia as a no-go area is still in force. Any attempt to test the will of the Government, as happened on Thursday, May 30, 2024, shall be resisted with every resource at the disposal of the State. Abia shall remain very hospitable and accommodating to all law-abiding citizens and those who engage only in legitimate businesses as defined by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while it shall continue to be a very hostile space for anyone whose actions or inactions, are capable of disrupting the peace and security of our communities.”

It would be recalled that the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, had said on Thursday that his Government would not confront the promoters of sit-at-home order, and added that they were free to mourn the victims of the genocide perpetrated against their people as they wished.

Sadly, one of the ways some of them mourned was the unprovoked killing of the soldiers.