Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Coalition of South East Youth Leaders COSEYL, has accused some personnel of the 14 Brigade, Nigeria Army Ohafia of secret abduction and elimination of Ohafia youths.
COSEYL in a statement Thursday, expressed rage over the sad development and demanded immediate relocation of the 14 Brigade Nigeria Army, Ohafia, and the establishment of a federal university on the site of the barracks.
But the Army in a swift reaction dismissed the allegation as fallacious and unfounded.
A source in the 14 Brigade told Ikengaonline that no personnel of the Nigeria Army would be involved in such a barbaric and unprofessional act.
The source which pleaded for anonymity as he is not authorized to speak officially for the Army warned against making untenable and wild allegations to blackmail the Army.
But the President General of COSEYL, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, who signed the statement, called for full investigation of the matter.
The statement read in part: “The attention of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL has been drawn to an evil, barbaric and wicked development where the Nigerian army will abduct Ohafia indigenes seen or travelling in a bus, car or moving on the road.
“The Nigerian army will stop a car conveying passengers and will ask if there is any Ohafia person in the car. Anybody that says he is from Ohafia will be asked to come down from the vehicle and the driver will be asked to move leaving behind the Ohafia indigene who will disappear forever from the surface of the earth.
“One of the victims of this evil act is Mr. Uka, a young man from Akanu Ohafia and another young man from Ndi Uduma Ohafia who were abducted by the Nigerian army at Ndi Ojiugwo Abam in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State. These evil practice has been going on for a very long time and it has greatly reduced the population of the innocent Ohafia people.
“Indeed Ohafia people are now endangered people. We are really surprised that such a wicked, inhuman, and senseless acts will be perpetuated in a 21st century.
“It is so unfortunate that the Nigerian army paid with the tax payers’ money to serve and protect Nigerians are now the ones killing them.
“We therefore demand for the immediate removal of the Nigerian Army barracks in Ohafia and the site converted to a Federal University.
“We call on the Nigerian army to stop adopting and killing Ohafia indigenes traveling or going on their lawful businesses.
“We call on the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the international community and all lovers of democracy to come to the rescue of Ohafia people who have been marked for extermination.”
