Meanwhile, a community source, who pleaded to remain anonymous, told newsmen that a soldier was killed while one of the gunmen was also killed by the soldiers during the attack.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the attack by gunmen on a military checkpoint along the Amangwu axis of the Amasiri-Owutu Road in Edda local government area of Ebonyi State.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu said the command received information from Owutu Police Division that some hoodlums attacked the military checkpoint in the early hours of Friday, shooting sporadically.
Ukandu said the Command was yet to be briefed if there was casualties, but affirmed that “the attack was carried out by yet-to-be-identified gunmen operating on a motorcycle.”
Meanwhile, a community source told LEADERSHIP Weekend on grounds of anonymity, that a soldier was killed while one of the gunmen was also killed by the soldiers during the attack.
“There was an attack this morning at the Amangwu Military Checkpoint and two persons were killed. From the information available, a soldier was killed and one of the gunmen was also killed by the soldiers,” the source said.
The attack has caused panic and apprehension in the area as motorists and commuters plying the road spent several hours before normalcy returned to the area.
Reacting to the attack, some elders in the Community who condemned the incident described the perpetrators as enemies of the state and the community.
They said the criminal elements were those not happy with the peace that the community had witnessed in the last two years.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, an elder of the Community, Chief Orji Ama said, “We woke up this morning to hear about the attack at one of the military checkpoints in our local government. It was an unfortunate incident. It left many of us in shock as we have not witnessed any attack in our local government in the last 2 years.
“Just recently, part of our community known for hostility celebrated seven (7) months of peace and unity. Only for some hoodlums to attack the military checkpoint. The presence of the military in our local government has brought about peace in the community and we are happy.”
He called on the security agencies to go after the perpetrators of the dastardly act with a view to arresting and prosecuting them.
He restated that Edda is a peaceful community, saying anyone who under the guise of unknown gunmen to cause havoc in the community must be fished out and prosecuted.
Another Community Leader, Chief James Chima who also condemned the attack, maintained that the community will go all out to assist the security agencies to ensure the security of lives and properties of indigenes.
Chima added that an attack on the military checkpoint was a complete sabotage to the peace and security being witnessed in the local government, adding that hoodlums cannot sabotage the peace and security in the local government.
“The attack could best be described as sabotage. It is a sabotage to the peace and security the local government had witnessed in the last two years. Enemies of the local government want to bring about insecurity again in the community, but we will do everything to resist it.
“The military presence has also helped immensely to ensure peace and security of the local government. That security and peace will never be truncated by those parading as unknown gunmen. The security agencies must go all out to fish out the hoodlums and ensure they face the full wrath of the law.”
