By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Barely 24 hours after the Abia State Governor issued a marching order for security operatives to take the battle against gunmen to their den, tragedy again struck in Umichima, Nnaji Autonomous Community in Isiala Ngwa Local Council of the State on Monday November 25. No fewer than three soldiers have  reportedly been killed by  gunmen, and their bodies, allegedly dumped into the Imo River.

The Source reports that  Governor Otti, at the weekend, after an emergency Security Council meeting which featured all the Security Chiefs in the State, announced that his Government will no longer condone unnecessary terrorist  attacks and killings of security operatives and  innocent residents of the State.

To this end ,he informed that the Security Council has resolved to smoke out all terrorist and other criminal elements operating in the State .

Before then, he had blamed the spate of terrorist attacks and killings that have rocked  some parts of the State in the last  few days, particularly, Umuahia the Capital and its environs on the opposition.

The opposition, in a counter claim, blamed the unprecedented security challenge on the lackluster performance of his administration, and tasked him to review its policies rather than blaming non existent political foes.

About four terrorist related attacks between November 13, and 21  left  three  soldiers and 3 police men dead  with several others severely injured.

The attacks represent the worst insecurity recorded since after the infamous years of the era of Aba based  dare devil kidnap king pin, late Osisikankwu.

Impeccable local sources told this Magazine that the early Monday morning November 25 attack led to the killing of three soldiers, with their corpses allegedly  dumped into the Imo river by the gunmen.

“It was a bizarre sight . What happened was that  our village, Umuchima, Nnaji Autonomous Community in Isiala Ngwa Local Government Area is located very close to the bank of Imo river.

“There is a swampy  area we call Mpata Forest within the river bank. Now, some time last year ,some unknown persons came and lodged there with  their guns and other things.

“The community was at a loss as to who the strangers could be. The worst of all was that at a point; they started coming to the local markets to do shopping with guns hanging on their body.

“The development coincided with the death of our traditional ruler, late Eze Samuel Ahukannah. So there was no one who could take up the matter.

“But some how, some people severally drew the attention of the authorities, including the military, to the existence of the gunmen’s  Camp in the Mpata Forest.

“At a point the military stormed the camp and recovered some bags of rice, other food items and other things belonging to the gunmen .

“After that, we felt that the whole thing had ended. But within a short time ,we started seeing them at the markets shopping with audacity, and with their guns.

“At that point ,everybody became afraid to report them again for fear of being made a scape goat .

“We became afraid because the military being aware of  their presence ,and yet they were still  operating, was enough reason for everybody to withdraw to his or her shell.

“With the community yet to get a replacement for its late traditional ruler, nobody was in a position to meaningfully pursue the matter.

“We have just finished electing an Eze. But he is yet to be recognized by the Government. Besides ,we understand that the gunmen were equally monitoring our activities with a view to spotting informants among us.

“It was a very difficult situation for us. No serious Government intervention to dislodge the hoodlums and no protection from security agencies. So we had to thread cautiously so as not to provoke our “unwanted neighbours” into killing us .

“That was the situation when the military came on Monday November 25, 2024 at about 5.30 am to confront the gunmen.

“We understand that the soldiers were ambushed and attacked by the  gunmen who it seems have mastered the difficult swampy terrain

“We were meant to understand that about three of the soldiers were killed ,and their corpses dumped into the Imo river.

“We don’t know how many of the unknown gunmen that were killed by the invading troops. But what is happening now is that the military have been setting our people’s houses ablaze ,arresting and torturing any body in sight .

”As we speak ,most houses in Umuchima ,and other villages within Nnaji Autonomous Community have been razed.

“Of course, those who could afford it, have all run away from the Community due to the ongoing brutal reprisal attacks by soldiers”, a local who ran and escaped the reprisal attack volunteered

As at the time of reporting, neither the Abia State  Government, nor the Military authorities has reacted to the development.