Three gunmen, who attacked a police checkpoint along Okija-Onitsha Expressway on Thursday, have been killed by troops of Sector 5 operating under Exercise ‘Golden Dawn’ in Enugu, the military said.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu said the troops engaged and overwhelmed the gunmen with superior firepower, forcing them to flee the scene.
He said the soldiers, however, pursued and engaged the gunmen in a gun duel, killing three and forcing others to flee.
According to him, the gunmen who were in two vehicles, a Hilux and Hummer bus, eventually succumbed to the troops’ effective firepower, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
“Troops also recovered one vehicle and two motorcycles, while conducting further exploitation of the general area for the fleeing terrorists.
“Unfortunately, a soldier paid the supreme price, in the line of duty, for his country.
“The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, commends the troops for the feat and urges them to sustain the momentum against all criminal elements operating in the region.
“The COAS also sympathises with the family of the fallen hero and prays for the repose of his soul.,” he said.
