No gun battle between ESN, Army in Nsukka — LG chairman
The Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area in Enugu State, Bar. Cosmos Ugwueze, has dismissed alleged gun battle between operatives of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and Nigerian army within the council.
Unverified reports had swirled across social media platforms on Thursday night that ESN, coordinated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the army were engaged in a heated exchange at a remote area in Nsukka.
But in a statement made available to CRISPNG on Friday, Ugwueze quashed the reports, noting that such claims were aimed at creating panic in Nsukka.
The statement read: “The attention of Nsukka Local Government Council has been drawn to a false alarm capable of incalculable damage to the peace and security of lives and property in Nsukka Local Government and of course Enugu State, being circulated on the social media platforms, precisely Facebook by one David Ani, an Indigene of Nkerefi, Nkanu East Local Government Area, who is known to be hiding under the pseudo name of Odogwu na Nkanu to circulate untruths and create panic.”
The statement added: A”to him, in a post titled ‘Happening now’ there is Gun battle between the team of ESN and military personnel and the military personnel removing their uniform”.
“Not done with his large appetite for purveying falsehoods, he went on in another post to claim that ’28 soldiers , 19 Fulani herdsmen down in Nsukka, Enugu State last night’
“We have the responsibility of informing the general public that there was and there is no presence of ESN anywhere in Nsukka Local Government Area and there is no incident involving Nigeria Army, or Fulani herdsmen in any part of the council area.
“The general public is hereby advised to go about their normal businesses without fear as Nsukka local government is peaceful and calm.
“David Ani and his co-travelers are hereby advised to be more factual and reticent in their public posts and comments as they are capable of causing panic and serious security problems, not only in Nsukka, but in Enugu as well.”
