Gunmen Kill Soldier At NLNG Facility

Unidentified gunmen, last Monday, shot and killed a soldier at one of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) facilities in Ubeta community in Ahoada West Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The soldier, whose name was not clear as the time of filing the report, was said to be on his duty post when the gunmen struck.
A security guard at the NLNG road junction, who pleaded anonymity said, there were three military men on duty, including the Army who was gunned-down that fateful night.
The source said as the Bayelsa State-born soldier heard sound of two motor cycles plying the road, he came out, flashed his torch light to flag down the speeding motorcycles.
“On arriving the point, the hoodlums immediately shot the soldier on the chest. He  fell to the ground with a thud, and they quickly zoomed off,” our source said.
Our impeccable source added that two of the Army personnel were inside the security post when their colleague was shot dead.
The Tide learnt that before the Army personnel could rush to the scene, the hoodlums, who did not waste any single minute, had disappeared into thin air.
However, the Paramount Ruler of Ubeta Community, Chief Chimezie Nathaniel said, “a week ago, a   man from Owube community was killed in his farm; two weeks ago, a soldier was also killed in Oboburu community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. Again, the day before yesterday, another soldier was killed at NLNG facility at Ubeta where over 12 soldiers were supposed to guard.”
Nathaniel described the manner in which the soldier was killed in Ubeta as unfortunate, and alleged that it was the same gang of hoodlums who killed their victims in Oboburu, Owube and Ubeta.
Explaining that Ubeta, Owube and Oboburu communities were not safe, he appealed to the Rivers State Government to mobilise Army contingent to the area, arguing that Ubeta plays host to facilities of other multinationals such as Agip and Total E & P.
On the repentant cultists in Ubeta community, he said, the boys were conducting themselves in a peaceful manner since they embraced the Rivers State Government’s amnesty offer, assuring that peace has finally returned to the community.
A community source told The Tide that when the news filtered in that a soldier had been killed, the people were seen in groups discussing the tragedy and calling on the government to intervene to check the spate of criminality and cult-related violence in the area.
Further investigation revealed that some residents of the community have fled their homes for fear of reprisal attacks as several pick-up vans carrying military men had invaded the community.
However, The Tide learnt that no arrest has been made so far.
Meanwhile, the community’s youth leader, Comrade Abali Innocent has condoled with the leader of the military team at the NLNG facility in Ubeta.
In the message, Innocent sympathised with the leadership of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, family, relatives and friends of the deceased, and prayed God to grant his soul eternal rest.
He further appealed to misguided youth still wielding illegal weapons in the area despite the state government’s amnesty offer to surrender their arms for peace to reign or face the full weight of the law.

Agimo Emenike Benson, Ahoada