Tensions have gripped several communities within Odual, Abua/Odual Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, as a result of purported gun-wielding kidnappers’ fatal assault on two soldiers last Tuesday. The incident unfolded at the construction site of the Ekaago-Ogboloma-Adada road project, overseen by the state government.
The project’s initiation traces back to the tenure of the former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, who awarded and initiated the endeavor.
Sources closely tied to the affected communities broke the distressing news to journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday. The sources revealed that while the miscreants failed in their endeavor to abduct a targeted expatriate at the site, they did manage to seize three laborers working on the project and an individual returning from his farm during the tragic event. This latter source declined to have his identity revealed.
Providing further insight, the source disclosed that the assailants made off with the soldiers’ firearms subsequent to ending their lives.
As of the time of composing this report, the Nigerian Army is yet to release an official response. Attempts to reach the spokesperson of the 6 Division stationed in Port Harcourt, Lt. Col. Ikedi Iweha, through phone calls remained unanswered.
Narrating the incident, the source said, “Some hoodlums came to the Ogboloma road construction site on Tuesday with the intention of kidnapping the white manhandling the road. They laid ambush and waited for them to resume duty. So on sighting the army they shot the two army personnel and killed them.
“They also kidnapped the foreman, four other workers, and one farmer from the Ogboloma community, who were returning from the farm.
“The hoodlums also took away rifles of the killed soldiers and escaped through Esala river after serious shooting.”
He noted that some arrests have been made by the Army in respect of the attack but expressed fears about the fate of residents in the communities.
“With this, the army came to make some arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities; despite the arrests already made, we’re all living in fear. We all have been sleeping in the bush, there is panic everywhere because we don’t know the next move the army will make,” he said.
