The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has disagreed with the Nigerian Army over the identity of the soldier who killed a commercial motorcyclist, Chimaobi Nwaogwu, in Abia State last week.
A statement by Col. Aliyu Yusuf, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, titled, “Updated Report on the Shooting Incident that Led to the Death of Mr. Chimaobi Nwaogwu at Umuokereke Ngwa Community of Abia State,” gave the name of the soldier as Lance-Corporal Ajayi Johnson.
Yusuf said in the press statement that: “Further investigation on the incident revealed that Lance Corporal Ajayi Johnson one of the soldiers deployed at Forward Operations Base, Ohanze for security duty shot and killed the Okada rider, Mr. Nwaogwu, on Wednesday, 7 August, 2019.”
But a press release signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, claimed that Johnson was not responsible for the death of Nworgu.
According to the press release: “It has become routine for Nigerian Army to always deny culpability in the countless deaths and killing of innocent civilians in Nigeria, especially the most recent cold blooded murder of Nwaogwu at Ntigha-Uzor Community in Obingwa LGA, Abia State.
“We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) insist that it is our duty to continue to hold the Nigerian military, and by extension Aso Rock, responsible for their role in these crimes. Fulani Jihadists in Nigeria Army uniform at 82 Division Enugu must release the pictorial and video evidence of the murderer that executed Chimaobi Nwaogwu on Wednesday, 7th August, 2019.”
The IPOB claimed that a Fulani soldier, and not a Yoruba soldier, that shot and killed Nwaogwu in his compound.
The IPOB’s publicity secretary opined that: “Without the benefit of public parading of the so-called Lance Corporal Ajayi Solomon as is customary with law enforcement agencies in Nigeria, the continued denial of the army will be seen as mockery of the deceased and entire Biafra nation.”
He added that IPOB’s preliminary search indicated that nobody by the name Lance Corporal Ajayi Solomon was deployed to any checking point in Aba and regretted that Nworgu, a father of three children, was murdered in his compound on Wednesday, 7th August, 2019, for being a Biafran.