The Nigerian Army has arrested a rogue soldier, who
specialised in training Niger Delta militants, during its arms and ammunition
mop-up in Kula Community, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers.
Lt.-Col. Timothy Opurum, Commanding Officer of 2 Brigade Garrison
of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, made this known to the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Opurum said the soldier, a member of 13-man -militant gang
alleged to have been terrorising many communities in Rivers, deserted the army
in 2002.
“Based on intelligence reports, we carried out a sting
operation where we captured 13 members militant gang including their notorious
kingpin leader, simply known as Kenneth.
“We also arrested a soldier, who deserted the army in 2002
and specialised in training of militants in weapons handling and operational
tactics.
“The soldier (names withheld), who is a Private, joined the
army in 1998 and served in 331 Artillery Regiment Kalapanzi Barracks in Kaduna
before he was declared missing in 2002.
“The soldier, who is related to the kingpin of the militant
group, is still in our custody and will be released to prosecuting agencies
after formal dismissal from the army,” he said.
Opurum said that troops raided the community on account of
incessant cases of militancy, kidnapping, piracy, cultism and killings which
occurred regularly in the area.
The commanding officer said that intelligence revealed that
the community was not only serving as hideout for criminals but hoodlums were
also storing caches of arms and ammunition in the area.
He said the raid was “highly successful” as arms and
ammunitions were recovered by troops during the operation.
“However, some of the arms and ammunitions had already been
moved by the militants before our troops arrived at the community.
“Twelve suspects excluding the deserter-soldier, the arms
and ammunitions had been handed over to the state Directorate of Security
Services (DSS) for further investigation and prosecution,” he said.
Opurum, who led the operation, however, denied allegation
that troops opened fire on innocent fishermen and traders, and destroyed their
wares during its operation in the community.
According to him, it is highly untrue that soldiers
assaulted innocent civilians during the operation to mop up arms and
criminality in Kula community.
“There was no case or cases of manhandling both on the part
of civilians and on the suspects who were arrested over their involvement in
gun running activities,” he said.
The ruler of Opu-Kula in Akuku-Toru, Hope Opusingi, alleged
that soldiers battered his people and destroyed property worth millions of
Naira during the raid on his community.
Opusingi claimed that soldiers invaded his community “under
the guise of carrying out a presidential directive against oil theft and
attacked harmless elders and innocent fishing settlements.”
The monarch said the action by the army was an abuse of
power and a gross violation of the right of his people. (NAN)
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