Highly respected elders of Igbo land have appealed to tye Military high command not to be brutal in its quest to revenge the killing of five soldiers in Aba, Abia State on Thursday by hoodlums.
Journalist101 reports gunmen had on Thursday, attacked a military checkpoint and killed five soldiers at Obikabia junction, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State.
The elders while condemning the dastardly act, begged the military authorities to rather, deploy intelligence and fish out the perpetrators of the heinous attack instead of embarking on any military confrontation considering the collateral damage associated with such military engagement.
A report by Vanguard said the former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, condemned in strong terms, the attack on the innocent soldiers, but appealed to the military not to resort to any reprisal attack.
The former Governor rather urged the military authorities to deploy intelligence and fish out the perpetrators and deal with them instead of embarking on any military operation.
“It’s very unfortunate. It’s very wrong for people to turn around and attack those watching over them. Soldiers are there for all Nigerians and should not be attacked. These soldiers did nothing to warrant this attack. It’s very annoying.
“But I sincerely appeal to the military not to go on full scale revenge because that will be catastrophic. Let them mellow down and temper justice with mercy.
“Let them concentrate on using intelligence to fish out the perpetrators and deal with them. Let them not escalate the whole thing because there is tension already in the state”, Orji appealed.
Reacting also, former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, strongly condemned the “senseless and barbaric attack”, but pleaded with the military authorities to temper justice with mercy for the sake of innocent citizens “who are usually the victims of any reprisal attack”.
“This is very unfortunate and condemnable. My heart goes to the Nigerian Army and the families of the deceased soldiers. I urge them to bear the loss with maturity and forgiveness.
“It’s very regrettable to lose a soul how much more a soldier with all the heavy investments in their training. But let them temper justice with mercy because it is usually the innocent people that bear the brunt of any reprisal attack.”
The former Senate President urged the military to carry out intelligence with a view to identifying the culprits instead of rushing in with military operation in the entire city to avoid collateral damage.
“If only they can tarry a bit and identify the culprits and deal directly with them. Any random operation will affect innocent citizens.
“Abians are not happy with this senseless attack on our soldiers carrying out their constitutional duty. But we as elders cannot even identify the hoodlums. That’s why a lot of intelligence is required to be able to know them and specifically deal with them.”
Similarly, former Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, also condemned the killing of soldiers but appealed to the military to be considerate in its response.
Mazi Ohuabunwa who said that the perpetrators of the attack were unlikely to still be in the vicinity, pleaded with the military to consider the rules of engagement in dealing with the situation.
He condoled with the Nigeria Army and families of the deceased soldiers over the attack but called for maturity in their response.
“We condemn this attack and mourn with the Nigeria Army. These are bad times for the country, insecurity everywhere and it’s not acceptable.
“We appeal to the military to use rules of engagement and not punish the innocent with the guilty.
“Killing of soldiers by non state actors is reprehensible and unacceptable behaviour. Nobody supports that.
“However, the military should temper justice with mercy and show professionalism in its response. It will be unfair for a professional military to visit innocent citizens for the work done by men who did the job and fled. Those who did that evil job are likely not to be in that vicinity anymore.
“They should go after them using intelligence and surveillance to track them.
“I have seen some videos where people are being loaded into vans and trucks, and I don’t understand what that means.
”It’s unfortunate that our service men put their lives on the line for the country. They don’t deserve these senseless attacks. But we cannot allow innocent men to be traumatized or incarcerated because of the works of miscreants who did this and ran away. I learnt they drove in in Prado SUV. Is Prado SUV used by ordinary citizens?
In the same vein, the Methodist Bishop of Umuahia Ecclesiastical Diocese, Archbishop Raphael Opoko, has appealed to the military to soft-pedal in its threat to respond fiercely.
Opoko who also strongly condemned the needless attack, appealed to the military authorities to consider the fate of innocent citizens in the eventuality of any reprisal military operation.
“The killing of the soldiers is bad. Shedding of blood is strange to the Igbo society. So, we appeal to the Army to be merciful because it’s not good for innocent citizens to bear the consequences of what they did not do.
“We appeal to the military not to be fierce in its response. Let there be a collaboration with the state government in the efforts to fish out the culprits. “
