Brig. Gen. Adegoke Adetuyi, the commander of the Nigerian Army’s 14 Brigade in Ohafia, Abia State, has issued a warning, saying that he did not come to the region to court criminals.
When a delegation of traditional leaders and elders from Ohafia, led by the Local Government Chairman, Dr. Okoroafor Ukiwe, visited the Brigade headquarters yesterday to discuss the security breach in the historic town, Gen. Adetuyi read them the riot code.
Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, who served as Abia North’s senator in the eighth senate, has appealed for peace in the wake of the security breach that resulted in the deaths of people and raised tension in the neighborhood.
Recall that there was a gunfight between unidentified gunmen and soldiers that resulted in the deaths of three people, including one soldier.
The new army commander pledged to drive away criminals from Ohafia and the surrounding area, emphasizing that his mission was to “constitutionally do all necessary to ensure peace is maintained in Ohafia and the whole Abia State.”
He voiced his disgust over the event and charged Eastern Security Network (ESN) members with being behind “the assassination of a young innocent soldier and a lady.” Adetuyi advised the traditional chiefs and rulers of Ohafia to urge their followers to abstain from violence and to embrace peace while cautioning them against harboring criminals in their territory.
In the meantime, Senator Ohuabunwa expressed sympathy to the relatives of the terrible incident’s victims and asked for the return of peace to the region.
In a statement released yesterday, Ohuabunwa voiced alarm over the unsettling security issues in Abia North and urged care to avoid escalating an already difficult situation.