The Nigeria Army has spoken on a reported recent shooting incident between Nigerian troops and some gunmen at Ebe, Ohafia in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria’s South-east.
Some gunmen and the troops from 14 Brigade were said to have engaged in a shootout in the area on Friday evening.
The shootings reportedly caused panic among residents of the area, forcing them to flee the community.
Other sources claimed that the troops were searching houses and firing sporadic shots in the community, which caused panic among the people.
But the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Innocent Omale, debunked the report.
Mr Omale, a lieutenant, told Vanguard newspaper on Saturday, that the troops were not searching houses as speculated.
The spokesperson said some soldiers were on patrol when some hoodlums saw them and engaged them in a shootout.
“Our people were going out on patrol and on their way back, these bad boys saw them and started shooting at them,” he said.
Reacting to the report that the troops were firing sporadic shots, Mr Omale said, “Are our men mad that they will just start shooting like that?”
He, however, said the situation had been brought under control and that no life was lost in the incident.
The Nigerian military and officials of other security agencies have been fighting gunmen, believed to be part of the Biafra agitation in South-east Nigeria.
Amnesty International Nigeria and other organisations have accused the military of extrajudicial killings in the region under the guise of fighting the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, which is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra.