The Nigeria Army has denied harrassing innocent residents of Owerewere, Aminigboko, Egunughan, and Emesu communities in Emughan clan in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Some residents had alleged that soldiers have been harassing and disrupting the peace of their communities, since after the terrible incident that happened in Ahoada-Abua East-West axis, on December 13, 2023.
The spokesperson of 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Jonah Danjuma, who made the denial while speaking in an interview with newsmen, described the allegation as baseless.
He clarified that the mission of the division troops deployed was to apprehend the suspected militants who carried out the unwarranted attack on its troops within their vicinity last year.
“I am sure you are aware of the unprovoked and unwarranted attack on our troops by suspected militants within their vicinity on 13 December 2023. Since then, our troops have been conducting operations to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
“It is on record that our troops have a pedigree of conducting operations in line with global best practices of adhering to the rules of engagement and respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.
“Thus, the allegation of harassment of innocent people is baseless, and remains largely unsubstantiated. It is also important to state that these criminals operated within their vicinity, and so they have a responsibility to expose them rather than to resort to blackmail and unwarranted propaganda”, Danjuma said.
Speaking with Punch Metro in an interview, a man who identified to be an indigene of the Emughan Clan, Bryan Honour, said that the military men in the communities are attacking innocent civilians.
“On the 13th December, unknown gunmen killed four soldiers and two drivers, now the soldiers came back and started attacking the whole clan, which consists about four communities. They chased people, beat grandmothers, grandfathers, and two people even died.
“All these happened because of the attack on their soldiers, and it is happening to innocent communities.
“Mothers and children have been sleeping in the bush, because of these military men. They were just beating people, some even died. Most of the youths are not with the residents in the bush, some are not even in Port Harcourt due to the situation of things,” He said.
Also speaking, another resident, Progress Ekomodi, revealed they were maltreated by the uniform men, and had to resort to living in the bush.
“It was unknown gunmen that kidnapped the white men and killed the soldiers, they were now flogging old women, chasing young women and children.
”The bush is now our shelter, we feed on palm kernels and water leaf. We have different camps , and we are more than two hundred in my camp here”, he said.
On her part, Beauty Ekom, said, ”life in the bush has been a terrible experience because every one of us is hungry and people have died as a result of lack of access to medical care and food.
“People fall sick every day in this bush, we are hungry and there is nothing to eat. Very soon, school will resume, there is no way our children will go back to school. The government should come to our rescue.
“People die in this bush every day, the stench from their decomposing bodies disturbs us. Come and help us, there is nothing to eat, we are starving. Some of our children are sick, we do not know how to treat them”, she added.
