Two soldiers attached to the ongoing Ekaago-Ogboloma-Adada road project being executed by the Rivers State government have been shot dead by gunmen.
The incident occurred in Abuja/Odual Local Government Area of the state and has caused panic in some communities in the area.
Sources disclosed that the Army personnel were gunned down by hoodlums who tried to kidnap an expatriate handling the road project.
According to sources, the gunmen carted away the rifles belonging of the slain soldiers, and abducted the foreman as well as other workers attached to the road project.
According to anonymous sources, the hoodlums, after taking their captives hostage shot sporadically, and escapes through Esalla, a river in Akani community in Odual, which links to the Sombrero river.
The community source disclosed that the Army in a reprisal action, have made arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities.
According to the source, residents of Emelego, Ogboloma and Okolomade communities now live in panic as no one knows the next action of the Nigerian Army.
The source said: “They also kidnapped the foreman, other four workers and one farmer from Ogboloma community, who was returning from the farm. The hoodlums also took away the rifles of the soldiers and escaped through Esala river after serious shooting.
“With this, the army came to make some arrests in Emelego and Ogboloma communities but we are all living in fear. We all have been sleeping in the bush, there is panic everywhere because we don’t know the next move the Army will make.”