Muhammad Bello
16 October 2009
The 2 Amphibious Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has described a news item credited to the Amnesty International (AI) monitored in an international broadcast medium on the recent shootout triggered by miscreants at the Bundu Water front in the city and some parts of the state as false.
According to the news item, AI said that during the October 12 gun battle between unknown gunmen and the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) two persons were killed while one was injured by the soldiers.
A statement by the Public Relations Officers of the Brigade Major Aminu Ilyasu said, "While the command recognizes the position of Amnesty International as well as other Non Governmental Organizations operating within its area of responsibility and not joining issues with any of such organizations, we reject in strong terms such frivolous and misguided allegations against officers and men of this command conducting their legitimate duty of sustaining the hard earned peace in the Niger Delta through the Federal Government amnesty programme recently concluded'.
He maintained that consultants for the Rivers State government were on the day of the incident detailed to conduct verification exercise at the Bundu Water front. While doing this, they were accosted by a group of people who started a seemingly peaceful demonstration which was immediately hijacked by miscreants. He added that the situation caused the police to fire warning shots to disperse them. "Nine persons were injured due to the stampede caused by the mob. All of them were taken to the Teme Hospital in Port Harcourt. Three of the injured victims have already been discharged while two are receiving treatment from gunshot wounds and the remaining four are being treated for various degrees of fractures", he said, adding that soldiers who intervened to ensure law and order during the crisis did not kill anyone.
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