By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri
Armed non-state actors suspected to be bandits have attacked and sacked a military post in Ehime Mbano LGA of Imo State barely one week after unknown arsonists burnt the home of Senator Frank Ibezim and the facilities of the National Open Universities of Nigeria, NOUN in Ezeoke Nsu of the council.
Reports have it that unknown gunmen swooped on soldiers at a checkpoint and their post at Aba branch in the Ehime Mbano LGA of the state, attacked them and killed some soldiers in the area, Tuesday night.
A native of the area told our correspondent that there was heavy shooting and the soldiers had to abscond while the whole place is on fire and the fleeing troops ran and took over the nearby communities.
The source who preferred anonymity, disclosed that the indigenes of the area are on the run following the constant shootings and sporadic gunshots that rented the airspace.
When contacted, the Nigeria Army stated that some criminal elements made an attempt to destroy as well as burn down the Ehimeh Nbano Local Government Secretariat at about 8:30pm on Tuesday.
Capt JB Akubo, Assistant Director Public Relations 34 Brigade, in the post disclosed, “Troops of 34 Brigade Nigerian Army were strongly on ground to deny the dissidents access to the facility. The criminal elements came shooting sporadically and lobbied hand held grenades and other explosives into the Secretariat but soldiers deployed to protect the government infrastructure, professionally prevented the irredentists freedom of action and their intent.”
“No soldier was lost and no part of the Local Government Secretariat was affected as claimed in some quarters. The criminal elements withdrew in disarray along road Oriagu – Ehimeh Nbano after suffering casualties. The troops professionally repelled the attack on the Local Government Secretariat”, he said.