Shootout: Injured soldiers alive, says army spokesman

The Nigerian Army says that the two soldiers who sustained several wounds from gunshots during a raid on criminal hideouts in Rivers are alive and responding to treatment.

Col. Aminu Iliyasu, the spokesman of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday.

Iliyasu said that the injured soldiers were among the troops from the 29 Battalion, who acting on intelligence conducted a routine-check on some communities in the state.

“The troops while on a routine-patrol of the communities encountered some armed illegal bunkers at Ferokpakama Camp – a notorious bunkering site in the state.

“The criminals on sighting the advancing troops opened fire on them.

“Our gallant troops repelled the attack and pursued them deep into the creeks with many of them sustaining wounds from the gunshots.

“Unfortunately, two brave soldiers from the troop were wounded in the action, with one of them in a critical condition.

“But, they are responding to treatment at a military facility.’’

Iliyasu said that the army in conjunction with other sister security agencies was planning to arrest the fleeing criminals.

He said that 14-pump-action cartridges; four empty AK 47 magazines, eight pumping machines and several other items were recovered by the troops from the criminals’ hideouts during the raid.

He said that the troops also discovered and destroyed thousands of litres of suspected illegally-refined diesel stored in huge tanks at Elechi and Abonnema Wharf area of Port Harcourt.

The spokesman also said that the troops arrested an alleged notorious kingpin (names withheld) accused to have kidnapped several motorists plying the East-West Road.

“The suspect is currently in a military custody where he is making useful confessional statements that have been useful to the military in their investigations.

“His confessional statements have also led to the arrest of some of his gang members,” he said.

Iliyasu said the division’s Anti-Illegal Bunkering, Anti-Kidnapping, Anti-Robbery, Anti-Cultism, Anti-Piracy and the Stop-and-Search Operation units had been fully mobilised to purge the state of criminal elements and their activities.