By Michael Chukwuebuka, Reporting
Four gunmen have been killed during a fierce crossfire with soldiers attached to the 144 Battalion of the 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Aba, Abia State.
Stonix News gathered that the incident occurred on Wednesday at about 12noon at the Uratta, Aba axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
The gunmen were reportedly wearing black attires and had marched through popular streets and markets on Wednesday.
They were said to be warning traders and residents of a suddenly imposed two-day sit-at-home order slated for Thursday and Friday and the need to comply or face the consequences of disobeying the order.
It was alleged that the sit-at-home order was intended to be observed across the southeastern states to protest the ongoing visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State on Friday.
Sources said as they were disseminating the information, some shop owners began to lock up their shops to avert any eventuality.
The sources said in the process of intimating the traders of the plan, they had an encounter with soldiers stationed at the Uratta Junction, and a gun duel ensued.
Four of the gunmen, including their leader, were reportedly killed, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
A source from the military at the 14 Brigade, Nigerian Army, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident.
He said “some gunmen had a face-off with soldiers of 144 Battalion stationed at the Uratta axis of the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway.
“The face-off led to the death of four of the gunmen, while others sustained injuries.”
The military source added that some charms and live tortoise were recovered from the killed suspected leader of the group.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna, hasn’t released a statement on the clash.
What's your reaction?
