ARMY DENIES REPORTS OF SOLDIERS’ DEATHS IN EBONYI COMMUNITY CRISIS

ARMY DENIES REPORTS OF SOLDIERS’ DEATHS IN EBONYI COMMUNITY CRISIS

The Nigerian Army has dismissed circulating reports claiming that two soldiers were killed and a military patrol vehicle destroyed during a security operation in Oso Edda community, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Army authorities described the reports, which gained traction on social media, as false and misleading, stressing that no personnel were lost during the operation.

The clarification followed violent attacks linked to tensions between Oso Edda community and the Amasiri clan, during which assailants reportedly invaded Okporojo Village, killing and beheading more than four residents.

Addressing journalists in Abakaliki on Wednesday, the Cantonment Commander of Nkwagu Military Barracks, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Chielo, said the military remained fully operational in the area and had not recorded any casualty among its troops.

According to him, the deployment in Amasiri is a joint security operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“None of my men were killed during the operation. On the first day of our deployment, some attackers assumed the troop presence was minimal and attempted to engage us,” Chielo said.

He explained that security forces responded with restraint due to the residential nature of the area, noting that excessive force could have endangered innocent civilians.

“We acted professionally. Given how built-up the area is, we had to avoid shooting indiscriminately. If we had acted emotionally, the outcome could have been far worse,” he added.

The Army commander also assured residents that security agencies were working to recover the severed heads of victims who were beheaded during the Okporojo Village attack, describing the act as deeply disturbing.

“It is not enough that these people were killed; their heads were also cut off. This is inhumane and unacceptable,” he said.

Chielo attributed recurring insecurity in parts of the country to long-standing communal disputes, including disagreements over ancestral land and chieftaincy titles, while noting that Ebonyi State has maintained relative peace compared to other states in the South-East.

He commended the Ebonyi State Security Council and the state government for measures taken to prevent reprisal attacks, stressing that the decisions were necessary to avert further bloodshed.

The Army officer further identified the proliferation of small arms as a growing national security concern, warning that weapons trafficking has become increasingly difficult to detect.

“Small arms movement is a serious threat. People may appear to be going about normal activities, but weapons are being transported quietly across communities,” he said.

He called for collective responsibility in tackling insecurity, adding that while government efforts were ongoing, security should not be left to authorities alone.