…Villagers flee for fear of reprisal

 

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ver 50 soldiers have been deployed to Ajakurama and its neighboring communities in Ovia South West local government area of Edo State by the Nigerian Army in an intensified effort to apprehend the killers of its service member and recover his gun, according to reports reaching Alltimepost.com.

The late soldier who was murdered and buried in a shallow grave last week by unidentified persons was on a routine patrol in the area when he was ambushed with his colleagues.

Sources at Ofunama and Ajakurama said many of the villagers have fled for fear of reprisal while others were allegedly refused to leave their homes. The source said many of them fled through the river to their relatives in Benin City.

Spokesman for Ajakurama community, Edah Tam Nike, said they were shocked at the treatment being meted to them by the soldiers despite the pledge by the community to join in the search party, stating that the villagers were not allowed to leave because the soldiers were concerned about the gun.

Spokesperson for the Operation Delta Safe of the Nigeria Army, Major Ibrahim Abdullahi, denied any harassment by the soldiers, when contacted.

According to him, the soldiers were only carrying out a surgical operation to isolate the hoodlums. He urged the villagers not to be afraid but to go about their normal duties.

“Our troops were attacked by miscreants and unfortunately we lost one soldier.

“What we are doing is a surgical operation to isolate the miscreants and get them arrested. We are after the miscreants. The people are advised to go about their lawful duties. It is not true that we are stopping them.” He stated.

It would be recalled that the leader of a team of soldiers returning from a routine patrol was killed in an ambush at Sadama, a village close to Ofunama riverine Community of Edo State, last Friday, October 12, 2018.