Paschal Emeka, Abuja
Troops of the Nigerian Army have reportedly invaded Obeagu Community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and the indigenes have fled for their lives.
Some community leaders who spoke to journalists on Monday morning, said the troops who invaded the community around 5 a.m., had been shooting sporadically and allegedly burning some houses.
The soldiers were said to have entered the community with 10 Hilux vehicles and seven armored tanks with over 100 military personnel.
It was not clear why the military invaded the community. However, nobody had been reported killed so far. Only one woman was said to have been hit by a stray bullet.
Confirming the invasion, a community leader and immediate past councilor of the community said: “We woke up this morning with military gunshots. As I am speaking everybody is on the run. Soldiers are shooting in all the communities. All the Eha-Amufu people that ran to our community after Fulani herdsmen sacked them are also on the run with residents.”
Another resident, Ogbuabor Sunday revealed that they were in the morning mass, at Catholic Church early morning prayer, when the soldiers rolled tanks into the community.
a.“.I was in the church this early morning around 5:30 a.m. when military vehicles numbering over 30 including armored tanks rolled into the community. Shortly after they started shooting sporadically. None of the people who came to church this morning had gone home. I am answering this call inside the bush,” Ogbuabor said.
However, according to the PUNCH, the invading soldiers were asking some women and aged people arrested, where is the camp of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) located in the community.
Recall that on October 13, 2022, armed herdsmen invaded the community and killed one person, wounded two, and kidnapped three which the community paid millions in ransom to secure their release.
Also, recall that armed herdsmen invaded the community on March 29, 2021, and killed 21 people. In all the invasion neither the soldiers nor the police intervened in the attack that lasted for nearly 12 hours.
Since the attacks, security agencies had yet to arrest any of the assailants despite recovering a phone of one of the assailants during the invasion last year which was handed over to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, when he visited the community a week after the gruesome attack.
Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful as the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82DV, Major Jonathan Unuakhalu, did not answer his calls or respond to text messages sent to his phone.