The Abia State Government has set a N25 million bounty on the murders of five soldiers in the Aba region of the state on Thursday, May 30.
it was previously reported that on Thursday, unknown gunmen assaulted a military unit near Obikabia Junction in the Ogbor Hill area, murdering five soldiers and setting the unit on fire.
A day after the tragedy, the state government referred to it as regrettable and grieved for the souls of the brave troops who perished while on active duty.
According to a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu, a bounty has been posted on the accused murders of the soldiers.
“To underscore its resolve, the State Government is offering a N25 million (Twenty-five Million Naira) reward to anyone with useful information that could lead to the location and arrest of any of the criminals connected to the unfortunate killings, and the subsequent state of apprehension across the city of Aba and environs.
“The security formations in the State have been directed to treat informants with all the confidentiality required to guarantee their full cooperation and assistance until the criminals are fully apprehended and brought to book.”
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), were suspected of being the terrorists behind the attack, which the military authorities had earlier verified. Major General Edward Buba, the defence spokesman, declared in a statement that the military would take revenge for the deaths of its soldiers.
“The armed forces mourn the death of these troops as each and every soldier lost in battle is a terrible loss. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing concerning the attack. Overall, it must be reiterated that the lifeline of the terrorist is the people and this situation is no exception. Winning the war without the support of the people is close to impossible. The IPOB capitalized on this to perpetrate attacks on the troops. The situation leaves more to be desired.
“Accordingly, it is imperative that the military retaliate against this dastardly act against troops. The military would be fierce in its response. We would bring overwhelming military pressure on the group to ensure their total defeat,” the statement read.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli