ENUGU, Nigeria — Tension mounts in the Eke community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State as residents reel from a horrific attack that left two dead, including a neighborhood watch member and a housewife, and several critically wounded.
The incident is alleged to have been perpetrated by soldiers attached to the 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu.
The Assistant Chief Security Officer of the Eke Security Neighborhood Vigilante Watch, Mr. Emeka Anigbo, who survived the attack but sustained multiple gunshot wounds, narrated the harrowing experience.
Anigbo said that on Thursday, June 29, 2023, they were at the 9th Mile Corner to celebrate the inauguration of new neighborhood watch members when they received a distress call about an armed robbery nearby.
“We abandoned the food and drinks we were about to consume and swiftly drove out to confront the criminal elements,” Anigbo recounted.
Due to heavy traffic, they left their vehicle and proceeded on foot.
As they approached the scene, they encountered three armed soldiers. “We obeyed the soldiers and stopped, telling them that we were neighborhood watch members,” he said.
Despite identifying themselves, the soldiers allegedly opened fire at close range.
“After shooting me several times, while I was on the ground, one of the soldiers… went ahead to shoot me again on the shoulder,” Anigbo disclosed through tears.
He added that the timely arrival of police from 9th Mile Corner saved his life.
One of the injured members, Chinedu Okolo, is said to be unable to speak due to the severity of his injuries.
Residents of Eke community have vehemently condemned the incident, describing it as barbaric and calling for an independent investigation.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu, the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations of the 82nd Division, refuted the victims’ accounts.
He claimed that the deceased woman was killed by a stray bullet from armed hoodlums during an exchange of fire with soldiers.
“So, there is no iota of truth in the information being peddled around that it was soldiers that killed the deceased. Our men only rushed to the scene to salvage the situation, after receiving a distress call,” stated Unuakhalu.
He added that the division would conduct a proper investigation into the incident.
However, a local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, called on President Bola Tinubu to establish a panel of inquiry for a thorough investigation of the incident.
He further urged for the bullet shells recovered from the scene to undergo forensic examination.
Prominent figures from the community, such as the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geofrey Onyeama, and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Barrister Godwin Onwusi, are expected to weigh in on this tragic event.
As the Eke community mourns the loss and contends with the anguish of those wounded, the demand for answers and justice grows louder.
Mr. Ebuka Oke, the deceased watch group member, had lost his father just a month ago. The community, now bereft of two of its residents, awaits a resolution that can bring solace and justice to the grieving families.
