Reports from PUNCH have found that soldiers carried out attacks on villages in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State killing six persons in retaliation of the murder of a soldier by some youth in the area.
Brigade Commander of the 707 Special Force, Brig. Clement Apere, denied that soldiers attacked the people claiming that the operation conducted in the area was carried out professionally, however, PUNCH reports that six villages — Olegadakolo, Ikpele, Otugologwu, Iwali, Okpanchenyi and Egba — were sacked by the soldiers.
At Egba community, sources said a pregnant woman was hit by a stray bullet, adding that the six villages had been deserted.
Agatu’s sole administrator, Mr. Mike Inalegwu, who spoke to a PUNCH correspondent on the telephone, also denied the killing of people in Agatu communities but admitted the invasion of military personnel.
“There is no iota of truth in that, no one was killed, the military were only on the mission to recover their arms and ammunition,” he said.
Source: PUNCH