Umuoba Anam Youths Allege Army Shooting, Arrest of Unarmed Civilians
The leadership of the Umuoba Anam Youth Council has called for an urgent investigation into alleged shooting and arrests of unarmed civilians by soldiers deployed to restore peace in the area.
The youth council alleged that some residents were shot and wounded while others were arrested by security personnel during peace operations in the community
The council expressed concerns that the situation could lead to further deaths and injuries if not urgently addressed.
Mr Peter Okuevune, the President of the council commended the Federal and Anambra Governments for their prompt response in deploying security personnel to the disputed area.
Okuevune acknowledged the broader security efforts in the area, noting that the troops were playing a commendable role in maintaining peace at Otuocha.
He however, expressed concern over what he considered as the failure of some security operatives to prevent further attacks and destruction of property in Umuoba Anam.
According to Okuevune, the community believed the troops were genuinely committed to restoring peace, but their unfamiliarity with the terrain and boundary disputes might have contributed to difficulties in carrying out their duties.
“On our own side, we felt that they were genuinely committed to their peacekeeping operation.
“Maybe their challenge was the fact that they do not know the territory well.
“Some troops fired live ammunition in an attempt to disperse or intimidate youths, resulting in injuries to residents, maybe it was difficult for them to differentiate the boundaries,” he said.
Okuevune said Umuoba Anam preferred a peaceful resolution of the crisis and that residents would continue to respect the security personnel deployed to the area.
“On our part, we have demonstrated that we prefer peaceful resolution of the crisis to war and we respect them,” he said.
“Unfortunately, in their bid to scare our youths, they shot, and many people caught by stray bullets have sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds. They also arrested some of our youths right inside our community.
“We have no idea why they were doing that, despite the fact that they did not face any confrontation from Umuoba Anam youths,” he said.
Okuevune said the youth council was particularly concerned about the circumstances surrounding the alleged shootings and arrests, insisting that the affected youths were not involved in any confrontation with the troops.
He queried why troops deployed for peacekeeping duties would allegedly open fire on civilians inside the community.
“The reason troops deployed for peacekeeping were shooting at Umuoba Anam people is what we do not understand.
“If they were shooting in the air to scare people away, that would have been understandable, but shooting live bullets at defenceless civilians is uncalled for,” he said.
Okuevune called for an independent investigation to establish what happened and determine whether the conduct of the personnel involved was consistent with their rules of engagement.
The youth leader said the community did not want further casualties arising from the actions of personnel deployed to maintain peace.
“We need investigation to know the reason soldiers are shooting at Umuoba Anam people and arresting youths. Those responsible for this deviation from the rules of engagement should be quickly identified and punished,” he said.
