The Nigerian Army yesterday rescued a female Lieutenant, P.P Johnson, who was abducted by unidentified gunmen, suspected to be Biafra agitators, who have been terrorising the South-East region.
A trending video on social media on December 26 showed the officer being tortured by the gunmen after she was abducted in her hometown in Enugu State.
The abduction had caused tension in the South-East as the armed hoodlums were said to have stripped the officer naked in an unidentified location suspected to be their hideouts.
They also as threatened to kill other military personnel of South East extraction.
In the viral video, a male voice was heard giving the command to the injured military lieutenant.
The voice, however, claimed that the captors were not members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
*Gunmen threaten to kidnap other serving Igbo military personnel
According to the suspect in the video, “This is a piece of wonderful information to our people still in the Nigerian military. That is how you people will die one after the other. Here it’s happening live in Enugu today 26th of December 2022. A lieutenant, a two-star in the military…”
“This is unknown gunmen. Unknown gunmen have nothing to do with IPOB. Unknown gunmen don’t know IPOB. What we are after is Biafra. Whether they like it or not, we must gain our freedom.”
The voice had told the officer to “say goodbye to the world, goodbye to your fellow soldiers, goodbye to this life. Bye-bye.” This is Enugu highway, we’ll be killing them one after the other”, he added.
The Army officer was said to have travelled to her community for the Yuletide season.
*Army arrests kidnap kingpin, others
A military signal yesterday revealed that the Lieutenant has been rescued. It also said the mastermind of the abduction was also arrested by the troops.
The signal read: “At about 1420hrs on 29 Dec 22, security forces rescued Lt PP Johnson who was abducted by gunmen and taken to a forest bordering Enugu state and Ihube in Okigwe LGA Imo state on 26 Dec 22. “The master minder (sic) of the kidnap has also been arrested by security forces while efforts are ongoing to arrest the others. The situation is still being monitored at the moment.”
However, a military source quoted by Sahara Reporters said, “She was just conferred with the rank of Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army. She passed out on December 17 after being commissioned from the Direct Short Service Course. She was kidnapped at her home in Ibube. She travelled home for the Yuletide celebration.
