…Communities fume, say soldiers now security threat in the area
From John Adams, Minna
For the second time in one month, soldiers suspected to be those providing security to Shiroro Hydro Electricity Dam in Zumba, shiroro local government area of the Niger state have attacked the men of the special hunters and injured one, including a member of the community.
The men of the special hunters were stationed around communities in Galkogo due to the activates of Bandits in the area and have successfully repelled a number of attacks by the gunmen, including rendering assistance to the soldiers during the invasion of a mining site by Bandits at Ajata Aboki where over 30 of the soldiers were killed last year.
A source close to Zumba community told our correspondent that last month, the soldiers were said to have gathered and beaten one of the special hunters to Coma when he was returning to his base at Galkogo after an operation at Kuchi in Munya local government area.
He was said to have been stopped at a check-point mounted by the soldiers at the Hydro Electricity Dam gate in Zumba and asked him to identify himself which he did but the soldiers were said to have threw a jab at him, telling him that why should they allowed themselves to be killed like chickens by Bandits.
It was further gathered the special hunter replied the soldiers, telling them that they (soldiers) were also being killed like them (special hunters), and this did not go down well with the soldiers who descended on him and beat him to coma.
However, the soldiers again on Wednesday attacked a group of the special hunters in Zumba, accusing them of wearing a red beret cap which they (soldiers) said was part of their uniform used by the Military Police of the Nigerian Army.
According to our source, the soldiers abandoned their duty post at the Hydro Dam and followed the Men of the special hunters to Zumba town and attacked them where one of them was injured, while a member of the community was knocked down by the soldiers patrol vehicles.
Both the special hunter and the member of the community that were injured are said to be in critical condition at the Hydro Dam medical facility in Zumba.
The incident threw the entire community into panic as they began to run in different direction, mistaking the soldiers for Bandits.
When contacted through watsaap message on this latest development, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umar confirmed the incident and said “I’m handling it”.
It was further that the Chairman of Shiroro local government was said to have waded into the matter and had held a closed door meeting with the warring factions with a view to securing a permanent solution to the frequent faceoff between the two.
Meanwhile members of the communities have condemned the action of the soldiers who take delight in assaulting the Men of the special hunters at will, describing it as a security threat to the community.
A member of one of the communities who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity said the soldiers are acting a script by constantly attacking and harassing those that are protecting them against bandit’s attacks.
“Is it that they want to force the special hunters to leave the communities so that the bandits can have access to the people, if not why are they always attacking them.
“They usually leave their duty post at the Dam to come and engage these people inside the town. The authority concern must caution them if not they (soldiers) should be prepared to kill the whole communities because without the special hunters we will not be in our communities by now”.