Panic as Gunmen kill 2 Soldiers in Rivers Community, cart away rifles

Two soldiers attached to the ongoing Ekaago-Ogboloma-Adada road project being executed by the Rivers state government have been shot dead by gunmen.

The incident which occurred in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the state has caused serious panic in some communities.

Sources disclosed that the Army personnel were gunned down by hoodlums who tried to kidnap an expatriate handling the road project. The hoodlums carted away the rifles of the slain soldiers and abducted the foreman and other workers attached to the road project. After taking their captives hostage, they shot sporadically and escaped through Esalla, a river in Akani community in Odual, which links to the Sombrero river.

The community source disclosed that in a reprisal action, the Army had made arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities. The source said:

“They also kidnapped the foreman, other four workers and one farmer from Ogboloma community, who was returning from the farm. The hoodlums also took away the soldiers’ rifles and escaped through Esala river after serious shooting. “With this, the Army came to make some arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities, but we are all living in fear. We all have been sleeping in the bush; there is panic everywhere because we don’t know the next move the Army will make.”