Don't Panic Over Movement Of Soldiers - Army Tell South East Residents

The Nigerian Army has urged south east residents not to panic over movement of troops and sound of gun shots as it conducts its annual Range Classification Exercise for 2019.

The deputy director, Army Public Relations 82 Division, Colonel Aliyu Yusuf, made the appeal in a statement on Thursday, April 25, in Enugu.

Yusuf said that movement of troops to and from the exercise area as well as sound of gun shots would be expected during the period of the exercise.

According to him, the general public is, therefore, advised to go about their daily activities without panic as this is a normal military routine exercise.

“The 82 Division, Nigerian Army, will be conducting the 2019 Range Classification Exercise; in line with the Nigerian Army 2019 training scheduled from Tuesday, April 23 to Saturday, April 27 at 34 Brigade Shooting Range, Owerri, Imo state.

“The exercise, which is an annual routine training activity, aims at testing personnel effectiveness in weapon handling and firing efficiency, thereby providing the required platform for better professional competence,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the zonal coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Uche Nwokocha, has said that brutality and extortion by men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) are most common in the south east.

Nwokocha raised the alarm about alleged police brutality, abuse, intimidation and extortion in the zone noting that the officers in the area had now constituted themselves into a terror group.

Speaking during public tribunal on police corruption, brutally and abuse in southern Nigeria in Owerri, capital of Imo state, she said: “Police corruption, abuse and brutality have become more pervasive in the south east.