WARRI – It was all pandemonium at Ekpan junction near Effurun market in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State during the monthly environmental sanitation that held Saturday morning, as a trigger- happy soldier gunned down a woman on her way to her daughter’s wedding.
NIGERIAN OBSERVER gathered that the woman was allegedly felled by the soldier’s bullet at about 8:00a.m.
Witnesses said trouble started when the keke rider refused to part with some money as demanded by the killer- soldier who was posted to Warri only last Wednesday, after series of complaints from the public that the soldiers earlier deployed to the check point were becoming something else.
Another witness said having seen his folly, the soldier ordered the keke rider to convey the bleeding woman to a nearby hospital for treatment.
But as the keke driver moved some meters away from the soldier unaccompanied, he pushed the corpse into the roadside and fled.
A pandemonium eventually ensued, as angry youths in the area mobilized themselves to attack the soldier.
Members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) were said to have been swiftly mobilized to the area as sporadic shootings began to rock the area.
As of the time of filing this report, heavy shootings were ongoing, and unconfirmed reports said no fewer than four persons have been hit by stray bullets as the ammunition were said to be flying to different directions.
Visibly shocked first daughter of the deceased who is yet to come to terms with the gruesome murder of her mother in a telephone conversation, said she learnt that the keke rider did not stop when he was flagged down by the soldiers which resulted in the killing of her mother.
But she said that was not enough for one of the soldiers to release bullets on her mother.
The lady who simply gave her name as Alero , spoke from Ekpan Police Station where the case has been reported.
She said the killer-soldier has been whisked away by members of the JTF contrary to reports that he has been arrested.
According to Alero, her mother was on her way to her ( Alero’s) house ( because her house was closer to the venue of the wedding) to dress up for the wedding of her ( the deceased’s) third daughter.
She said colleagues of the killer-soldier at the roadblock were the incident happened, have been taken to Warri Area Command for interrogation.
“They have not arrested the soldier. JTF whisked him away.
“His colleagues that they were at the road block together are now at Warri Area Command.
“It was my mom that was shot, not my sister that is wedding today. She was coming from the wedding,” she said incoherently.
It could not be ascertained from the Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, Major Azanku, if the soldier involved in the dastardly act was deployed from his base as his GSM provider said his phone was switched off.
Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Celestina Kalu, has confirmed the killing.
Kalu said police operatives were currently investigating the dastardly act, adding that there were procedures in arresting an erring soldier if he is not voluntarily handed over by the army.
She added that the daughter of the deceased had reported to the Ekpan Police Station that her mother was felled by a soldier bullet at Jakpa junction.
Kalu however debunked the rumour making the rounds that it was a bride-to-be that was shot by the soldier, but said it was the mother .
NIGERIAN OBSERVER learnt that the corpse of the deceased woman was brought to the station by some soldiers and the police have deposited the corpse in a mortuary.
