New Telegraph

Group, army trade words over killings in Imo

A group, Spaces for Change has condemned an alleged extra-judicial killing of innocent locals in the Nwaorieubi area in Mbaitoli council area of Imo state, blaming soldiers from 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army for the alleged killings. But in a swift, spokesman of the Brigade, Lt. Babatunde Zubairu said the Command which had no record of such incidents was only aware that his men were deployed to protect the community and not to attack locals.

He said: “What I can tell you is that on the day our men were attacked, we got a distress call for reinforcement and we deployed reinforcement. “With our men attacked and the police station burnt, the communities were exposed and we moved in our men to protect lives and properties from the rampaging criminal elements. “This is all I know and I’m not aware of any formal complaints to that effect.

Even our men that were shot had meant to speak to the young men, when they opened fire on them. “Nevertheless, one thing we can assure the residents of Imo is that we will not allow hoodlums and criminal elements to harass them or terrorize any part of the state again.” However, in a statement signed by group’s Executive Director, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, said “the dead and the injured are mostly women, girls and young men. These killings are senseless, unjustified and totally unlawful.”

The statement reads: “Eye witnesses told Spaces for Change that in the heat of the civil unrests that accompanied the #EndSARS nationwide protests on Wednesday, October 21, a group of unidentified hoodlums, driving in a white Toyota Hiace Bus shot an unnamed police escort at Eziama Junction, Orodo.

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