Various reports coming from Aba, the commercial city of Abia State said soldiers at the Osisioma axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway junction in Aba at the early hours of Wednesday allegedly killed 11 gunmen who reportedly confronted them.
In the meantime, Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Janet Agbede could not confirm the story. But the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Captain Iliya Dauda denied the report, but added that some hoodlums confronted some soldiers at the Osisioma junction and were repelled by the officers on duty. He denied any casualty figure.
However, this is coming 48 hours after three policemen were ambushed and murdered by hoodlums in Abiriba, in Ohafia local government area of the state.
Scanty reports coming from Aba said the gunmen, numbering about 30, engaged the soldiers at their checkpoint at the Osisioma junction in a gun dual.
It was gathered that before the gunmen came to the area; the soldiers had been tipped off over the alleged attack and were reportedly waiting for it.
Report said that no sooner the alleged gunmen arrived than the soldiers engaged them in a shoot out, resulting in the death of 11.
Other members of the gang reportedly fled with bullet wounds.
However, initial report put the casualty figure at 16, but another report put it as 11.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
