Suspected IPOB Gunmen Kill Four Soldiers In Rivers State

 

The soldiers, attached to an oil company for an escort duty, were killed by men believed to be IPOB

Four Nigerian soldiers were killed on Sunday by suspected IPOB gunmen in a community in Rivers State, Nigeria’s South-south, in one of the most daring incidents in the ongoing vicious attacks on security agencies in the region, as well as in the South-east.

The attack occurred at about 11:30 p.m. in a hotel, Edibe Hotel, in Abua- Odual Local Government Area of the state where the soldiers, attached to an oil company, Starling Global Ltd, were on an escort duty, a source familiar with the incident told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday. 

The soldiers were drawn from 16 Brigade Garrison, 6 Division, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

One of the soldiers sustained gunshot wounds, while five others were unhurt in the attack which the source said took the soldiers by surprise.

The gunmen are alleged to be members of IPOB, a pro-Biafra group that has been proscribed by the Nigerian government.

The suspected IPOB gunmen, during the attack, stole five rifles and a pick-up truck belonging to the Nigerian Army.

The chief security officer of Starling Global Ltd is said to be missing since after the attack.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately get the army’s reaction on the incident, as the spokesperson for the 6 Division, Charles Ekeocha, a major, did not respond to calls and a text message from our reporter.

Starling Global Ltd did not also respond to calls from this newspaper.

IPOB Attacks on security agents getting worse

There is concern by government officials, security experts, and ordinary Nigerians that the ongoing attacks on security agencies in the South-east and South-south, which appeared to be coordinated, is getting worse by the day, and has already worsened the security challenges in the two regions.

Apart from the killing in Abua- Odual, soldiers were said to be among eight security officials killed on Sunday by gunmen along the Omagwa/Isiokpo/Elele Owerri Road in Rivers State.

In Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east, gunmen suspected to be IPOB members attacked and set ablaze the country home of the state governor, Hope Uzodinma.

SOURCE