The Abia State Government has placed a N25m bounty on the killers of five soldiers in the Aba area of the state on Thursday, May 30.

Tontrends earlier reported that unknown gunmen on Thursday attacked the military unit at Obikabia Junction, Ogbor Hill area, killing the five soldiers and setting the unit on fire.

A day after the incident, the state government described the incident as unfortunate and prayed for the repose of the souls of the gallant soldiers who died on active duty.

A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Culture Okey Kanu, disclosed that a bounty has been placed on the suspected killers of the soldiers.

“To underscore its resolve, the State Government is offering a N25 million (Twenty-five Million Naira) reward to anyone with useful information that could lead to the location and arrest of any of the criminals connected to the unfortunate killings, and the subsequent state of apprehension across the city of Aba and environs.

The security formations in the State have been directed to treat informants with all the confidentiality required to guarantee their full cooperation and assistance until the criminals are fully apprehended and brought to book.”

Meanwhile, the military authorities had earlier confirmed the attack which it blamed on terrorists suspected to be the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). In a statement released, the defence spokesman, Major General Edward Buba, said it would retaliate for the killing of its men.

“The armed forces mourn the death of these troops as each and every soldier lost in battle is a terrible loss. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing concerning the attack. Overall, it must be reiterated that the lifeline of the terrorist is the people and this situation is no exception. Winning the war without the support of the people is close to impossible. The IPOB capitalized on this to perpetrate attacks on the troops. The situation leaves more to be desired.

Accordingly, it is imperative that the military retaliate against this dastardly act against troops. The military would be fierce in its response. We would bring overwhelming military pressure on the group to ensure their total defeat,” the statement read.