- “I beg you, because of God, if your person is in Orlu, from now till Monday, try to inform them. Tell them to change the location for now”
A yet-to-be-identified Nigerian Army soldier has warned residents of Orlu town in Imo State to either relocate or be vigilant as some personnel had allegedly been given a shoot-at-sight order in the ongoing battle with the Eastern Security Network operatives.
The soldier, who spoke pidgin English in an audio obtained by SaharaReporters, added that he would not carry out the plan, and therefore, he had been allegedly marked by the army commander to be arrested and possibly killed.
Orlu has been a battleground of recent between the army and ESN operatives, with the military saying on Friday that it killed 11 ESN and IPOB operatives in a gun duel.
The soldier, who is attached to the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Anambra State, warned residents of the town to relocate based on their commander’s alleged order.
In the audio obtained by SaharaReporters, the soldier said, “They first carried us (deployed us) to Maiduguri (Borno State). Then, 25 of us came back hoping that the matter was ended. Then they carried us to 302 Artillery, Onitsha. All of us were inside the barracks in Onitsha till 12pm this afternoon.
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“When the fight ended in Orlu, the commander now said anybody we see, we should fire them.
“I beg you, because of God, if your person is in Orlu, from now till Monday, try to inform them. Tell them to change the location for now. Immediately I left the barracks, the commander said I was going out to expose them and make sure they get me and kill me.
“See the cloth that I am putting on. I didn’t buy these clothes with my money, if you follow this line, I was given this cloth and I have kept my uniform.”
SR