Rivers State: A Civilian Disarms Two Soldiers Of Their Riffles, Pulled Off Their Uniforms

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A civilian and leader of disbanded vigilante group { OSPAC}, Mr Gift Ajuru was on Saturday, 15^th April, 2023, reported to have allegedly disarmed two Nigerian Soldiers of their riffles and pulled of their uniforms.

The soldiers were reported to have been posted to Rundele community to protect an oil facility and guard against vandalization of the facilities by illegal oil bunkerers.

The circumstances under which the soldiers were disarmed is still sketchy, however, an eye witness reported that the soldiers were in a compromise position as they were negotiating the sharing fomular for proceed from illegal bunkering activities in the forest in Rundele community in Emohua local government in Rivers State.

By Monday, 17^th April, Soldiers from the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army had invaded the community in an attempt to retrieve the two rifles and uniforms taken away from two soldiers who were attacked by local vigilante commander, Gift Ajuru. .

However, normalcy has returned to the Rivers community following Monday’s recovery of the guns and uniforms snatched from the soldiers on oil assets protection duty in the area, a development which forced many residents to flee Rundele for fear of reprisals from the Nigerian Army.

Confirming recovery of the seized rifles, Emohua LG boss, Lloyd opined that the incident justified his observation that soldiers guarding oil assets in the area aid and abet the oil theft they are deployed to fight in the area, alleging that the intimidated soldiers were disarmed over disagreement on sharing of gratifications from oil thieves with the disbanded vigilantes group in the area.

“I’m ashamed that a civilian could disarm two Nigerian soldiers, collect their rifles, remove their uniforms and these are people trained to protect the territorial integrity of this country”,

Lloyd said Monday in a media update. Major Iweha Ikedichi, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, was yet to respond to the recovery of the rifles and uniforms at the time of filing this report