No cause for alarm – Umahi
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The family of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kalu has reported an alleged attack of the family by soldiers apparently on a mission to assassinate him.
Disclosing this to Daily Sun yesterday night, the Secretary of Eastern Consultative Assembly, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Ukoh said one person was shot and wounded in the alleged attack.
He said that on the strength of the development, the chairman of the South-East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi had called him from abroad to say that the presidency and Army leadership had denied involvement.
Ugochkwu-Ukoh who spoke on phone with our correspondent said, “I received reports that there was an assassination attempt at Nnamdi this evening. But the chairman of the South-East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi called me from outside the country twice to reassure me that he had spoken with the presidency and the army leadership and they said it is not true.
“He said that the Army assured him that they didn’t attack Kanu, that’s what the Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum told me 30 minutes ago before you called. He even went ahead to plead with me to assure Nnamdi that there is no attempt by the army to either arrest him or persecute him, that if there was such incident in his house it must be by mischief makers who want to create problem. That is the position of the South-East Governors Forum Chairman.
But Nnamdi’s family called me severally and told me that soldiers arrived their home in three Hilux vans, shot at someone , wounded him and them jumped into their vehicles and drove away. This their words against the army but as the hours drove by the picture will become clearer.”
In the contrary, the Nigerian Army rather issued a statement ythrough the PRNigeria alleging that it was the IPOB members, they called militants that pelted them instead.
They claimed that: “The attention of 14 Brigade Nigerian Army, has been drawn to fictitious news going round especially on the social media that troops have invaded the home of Nnamdi Kanu and killed three persons. This is far from the truth. Rather, it was a group of suspected IPOB militants that blocked the road against troops of 145 Battalion while on show of force along FMC-World Bank Road in Umuahia town, Abia State at about 6.00-6.30pm, today. They insisted that the military vehicles would not pass and started pelting the soldiers with stones and broken bottles to the point of injuring an innocent female passerby and a soldier, Corporal Kolawole Mathew. The troops fired warning shots in the air and the hoodlooms dispersed. No life was lost. Therefore the public are kindly enjoined to disregard the rumours going round and the fictitious photographs of purported victims of attack. Both the soldier and the innocent female passerby have been evacuated to the unit’s Medical Inspection Room and are receiving treatment. We would like to use this opportunity to warn mischief makers threatening the peace and security of the country through falsehood such as above. Members of the public are please requested to go about their lawful business and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or security outfit. You are please requested to disseminate this information to the public through your medium.