A gallant officer and a soldier of Nigeria Army lost their lives in auto crash when their armoured tank failed on the way to Ihiala, Anambra state for a reenforcement.
A statement signed by Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu confirmed the incident on Wednesday.
He said that two others sustained injuries and were currently responding to treatment at a military hospital.
According to him, the troops of Nigerian Army were at Ihiala and neutralized four Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB)/ Eastern Security Network (ESN) gunmen enforcing the illegally imposed sit-at-home order firing sporadically in and around a filling station in the town on Feb. 7.
“Sadly, one combat vehicle conveying troops was involved in an accident during the operation following a technical fault.
“One gallant officer and a soldier paid the supreme price in the accident, while two sustained injuries.The injured are currently responding to treatment at a military hospital.
“The gunmen who were out enforcing the illegally imposed sit-at-home order fired sporadically in and around a filling station in Ihiala town.
“On receipt of a distress call, troops of the NA launched out to the location to restore normalcy. On intercepting the dissidents, a fire fight ensued and the gallant troops neutralized their leader, Ejike and three others,” Nwachukwu said.
He said that the items recovered from the gunmen during the encounter include one motorcycle, two pump action double barrel guns, 12 live cartridges and substances suspected to be cannabis amongst others.
“While we pray for the repose of the souls of deceased personnel, the general public are enjoined to continue to support the military and other security agencies through the provision of timely and accurate information that could enhance ongoing operations and ultimately, restore peace and stability in the region,” he said.