Army probe for destruction of building in owerri
By Chidi Nkwopara
OWERRI—The 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army, Obinze, has said it would investigate the alleged involvement of uniformed men in the destruction of a two-storey building at 22, Ogugba Street, Owerri, last Monday.
When Vanguard visited the scene yesterday, in company of the investigating army officers, a Captain and a Major, from the Brigade, an inscription, “Military Zone, keep off,” had been written on the building, allegedly by the invading soldiers.
Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai
Speaking exclusively to Vanguard after inspecting the scene, yesterday, Army Public Relations Officer, APRO, Capt. Haruna Tagwai, said: “We are here on a fact-finding mission. No soldier has the right to visit this level of destruction on the home of civilians. We can assist and find out which unit the soldiers came from.”
Although Capt. Tagwai affirmed, at the time of the inspection, that the Brigade had not received any report from anybody on the issue, he, however, maintained that “all men in army uniform does not mean they are from 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Obinze.”
One of the affected occupants of the building, who identified himself as Prince Iheanyi Apollos, told the APRO that he tried to report the incident to the Brigade authorities but could not reach any of the officers.
Apollos gave Capt. Tagwai a graphic account of how the soldiers stormed the building without notice and commenced massive destruction of parts of the house and property.
Responding, Capt. Tagwai appealed to Prince Apollos to “come to the Brigade Headquarters, Obinze, and give us your story,” pointing out that the Command would like to get to the root of the matter.
Vanguard recalls that Mr. Godwin Uzoma Osuji, the eldest son of late Chief Adolphus A. Osuji, who owned the building before he died, said he was not aware that the house had been sold to anybody.
“I am not aware that the family house has been sold to anybody. I am equally not privy to the purported sale of the building to any soldier, serving or retired”, Osuji said.
He told Vanguard that a group of people once visited him at his Amakohia Ubi, Owerri West local government area country home and tried forcing him to sign a power of attorney he had no hand in procuring.
“When I bluntly refused to sign it, they threatened to deal with me and left”, Mr osuji said
OWERRI—The 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army, Obinze, has said it would investigate the alleged involvement of uniformed men in the destruction of a two-storey building at 22, Ogugba Street, Owerri, last Monday.
When Vanguard visited the scene yesterday, in company of the investigating army officers, a Captain and a Major, from the Brigade, an inscription, “Military Zone, keep off,” had been written on the building, allegedly by the invading soldiers.
Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai
Speaking exclusively to Vanguard after inspecting the scene, yesterday, Army Public Relations Officer, APRO, Capt. Haruna Tagwai, said: “We are here on a fact-finding mission. No soldier has the right to visit this level of destruction on the home of civilians. We can assist and find out which unit the soldiers came from.”
Although Capt. Tagwai affirmed, at the time of the inspection, that the Brigade had not received any report from anybody on the issue, he, however, maintained that “all men in army uniform does not mean they are from 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Obinze.”
One of the affected occupants of the building, who identified himself as Prince Iheanyi Apollos, told the APRO that he tried to report the incident to the Brigade authorities but could not reach any of the officers.
Apollos gave Capt. Tagwai a graphic account of how the soldiers stormed the building without notice and commenced massive destruction of parts of the house and property.
Responding, Capt. Tagwai appealed to Prince Apollos to “come to the Brigade Headquarters, Obinze, and give us your story,” pointing out that the Command would like to get to the root of the matter.
Vanguard recalls that Mr. Godwin Uzoma Osuji, the eldest son of late Chief Adolphus A. Osuji, who owned the building before he died, said he was not aware that the house had been sold to anybody.
“I am not aware that the family house has been sold to anybody. I am equally not privy to the purported sale of the building to any soldier, serving or retired”, Osuji said.
He told Vanguard that a group of people once visited him at his Amakohia Ubi, Owerri West local government area country home and tried forcing him to sign a power of attorney he had no hand in procuring.
“When I bluntly refused to sign it, they threatened to deal with me and left”, Mr osuji said
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