Gunmen suspected to be militants on Monday killed an unidentified army officer who was said to be on a pipeline surveillance duty in Apoi community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State when he was gunned down and his AK 47 rifle carted away.
This is coming a few days after gunmen also abducted an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and carted away some arms at Ekeremor local government areas of the state.
A community source told Daily Trust that fear has gripped the people of the community over possible reprisal attack to the community by military men.
Already, some indigenes of the community have fled to neighbouring villages and elsewhere for fear of reprisal attack on the community by the military.
It was learnt that the soldier was on official duty to Apoi Community for a pipeline surveillance job when he was gunned down on Monday afternoon when the gunmen attacked.
He was said to have been killed in the forest between the boundary of Apoi and Azuzuama communities, where there is a pipeline, the assailants reportedly carted away his AK 47 rifle, before members of the community could get to the spot.
When contacted on the development, the spokesman for Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Major Victor Olukoya, said the defence headquarters has already been communicated to on the development, and the defence spokesperson is the only person authorized to speak with the press on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Community Development Committee, (CDC) Chairman in Apoi community, Mr Jepthah Keme, while condemning the incident, said the community was ready to give security agencies every necessary information and assistance.
He said the community is restless as such a thing has never happened before as they are generally peaceful and law-abiding.
He said: “As a community, we are restless, we equally condemned the attack, we are working with the security agencies to give them every necessary information and support to bring the perpetrators to book.
“These people [perpetrators] are not from Apoi, something like this has never happened.
“They are not from our community and their identity is still unknown.
“Because of this incident, our people have fled to neighbouring villages and other places. The community is deserted as we are talking,” he said.
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