Suspected militants have allegedly beheaded a soldier attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Etim Ekpo Local Government of Akwa Ibom State on Sunday February 18th. The Nation reports that the militants during a gun battle with the soldiers, also killed three civilians.
The security agents stormed the community to arrest a wanted militant leader popularly known as ”Aboy Ikpor” and members of his gang for masterminding the Ikot Ekpene Prison jailbreak last month in which 40 inmates escaped.
A resident of the community who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the soldiers head was chopped off by the militants
“The suspected militants ambushed the soldier and killed him. They chopped off his head and dumped his body at Urua Obo Inyang market, Akpan Udotim”.
He said three civilians, including a woman, were killed by suspected cultists at Udianga Enem, Ikot Obioma and Uruk Ata 11 in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.
The Commander of JTF team in-charge of Etim Ekpo, Ukanafun, Oruk Anam, Ika and Ikot Abasi local governments, Major Mohammed Husseini, confirmed the incident but denied that the deceased was a soldier.
The deceased was just our informant. We gave him military camouflage so that he could lead us to the camp. The informants were three. We gave them military camouflage to lead us to the camp to arrest some of the suspects, who escaped from Ikot Ekpene Prison. When the deceased heard gunshots, he attempted to escape because he was afraid. He was hit by stray bullets.”
