Gunmen Kill Two Soldiers, Kidnap Six in Rivers Community

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Gunmen have killed two soldiers and kidnapped six persons in Odual community of Abua/Odual local government area of Rivers State.

THISDAY gathered that the killed soldiers were attached to the ongoing Ekaago-Ogboloma-Adada Road project being executed by the state government.

It was gathered that the gunmen killed the army personnel who tried to stop them from kidnapping an expatriate handling the road project last Tuesday.

It was also gathered that the gunmen made away with the rifles of the slain soldiers, kidnapped five workers attached to the road project and a farmer who accosted the hoodlums while returning from the farm. 

A source from the community who pleaded anonymity, said the hoodlums, after taking their captives hostage, shot sporadically, scaring residents away before escaping enroute Esalla, a river in Akani community in Odual, which links to the Sombrero River.

The source revealed that the Army in a reprisal action have made arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities, leaving the residents in fear. 

“Some hoodlums came to the Ogboloma Road construction site on Tuesday with the intention of kidnapping the white man handling 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 Ogboloma community, who was returning from the farm.

The hoodlums also took away the rifles of the soldiers and escaped through Esala River after serious shooting.

“With this, the army came to make some arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities but we are 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,” the source narrated.

Meanwhile, effort to get the 6 Division Nigerian Army and the state Police Command to react on the incident proved abortive, as calls, text messages to the Army Public Relations, Iweha Ikedishi and Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko were not responded as at the time of filing this report.