Tragedy: Soldier Man Kills Bride’s Mother, Youngman in Delta
LAGOS APRIL 30TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Tragedy struck on Saturday when a soldier shot dead a bride’s mother and a young man in a military check point located at Ekpan junction, Effurun, Delta State.
An eye witness told Urhobotoday that during the Saturday environmental sanitation exercise, a tricycle operator known as ‘keke’ drove his tricycle close to the army check point at Ekpan junction.
He said an attempt by one of the soldiers on guard at the check point to urge the keke driver to move away from the check point, the soldier man hit the tricycle with his gun which exploded and a bullet from the gun hit a woman passenger who died instantly.
Our source disclosed that on hearing of the incident, enraged onlookers moved towards the direction of the soldier man probably to effect his arrest, but the soldier man was reported to have shot at the advanced on looker. In the process a young man was allegedly killed, while another sustained serious injury.
Urhobotoday investigation revealed that the dead woman was on her way to the wedding ceremony of her daughter when the incident occurred. The first daughter of the deceased, Alero confirmed that a keke operator flouted the soldier’s order when he was flagged down and the soldier opened fire leading to the deceased death.
According to her, the reason is not enough for one of the soldiers to release bullets on her mother.
The lady told newsmen at the Ekpan Police station that the killer-soldier had been whisked away by members of the JTF contrary to reports that he had been arrested. She also said colleagues of the killer-soldier at the roadblock had been taken to Warri Area Command for questioning.
“They have not arrested the soldier. JTF whisked him away. His colleagues at the road block are now at Warri Area Command.
“It was my mother that was shot not my sister that is wedding today. She was coming for the wedding,” she said.
The Delta Police Public Relations Officer, DSP. Celestina Kalu, and the Warri Area Commander, Mohammed Muazu, could not be reached for comment.
Very sad! While it is wrong for the Keke to disregard the instruction of the Nigerian Army. It is also very wrong for a soldier to open fire on defenseless civilians. If as a soldier, you are eager to shoot, ask for deployment to maiduguri where the action is.
The Nigerian Army is busy recycling soldiers that go to maiduguri to fight whereas there are soldiers who have never been posted there and are eager to shoot.
Nigerian Army, please post these task force soldiers in Uvwie and Warri to Maiduguri to showcase their skills there.