Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, has confirmed the rape, shooting and beheading of a Nigerian Army couple in Imo State by Unknown Gunmen, saying that the Army was investigating it.
General Nwachukwu told PUNCH newspaper that no stone would be left unturned to ensure that those who committed the crime were brought to book.
According to him, “I have received information about the cold-blooded murder of two of our personnel who were travelling home for their traditional wedding formalities.
“This is a dastardly act unleashed on our personnel by some criminals. The Nigerian Army has commenced investigations to unmask and bring to book the criminals behind the murder.”
A military source also confirmed that the female was first raped before she was shot dead along with her fiancé.
The duo were later beheaded.
After beheading the couple, the gunmen were said to have called their family members to mock them. A gory video of the incident seen by SaharaReporters showed the gunmen putting the heads on the victims’ chests after the incident.
“It’s so sad that we soldiers are no safer. The man was a member of the 19 regular intakes while the wife was of the 79RI.
“They were on their way to Imo state on Saturday when the incident happened. You won’t believe these gunmen as we speak still used their phones to make calls to their family members, making jest of them and threatening to kill them as well.
“This couple just married recently, even their photoshoot caused a lot of criticism, and seems they were punished for it. Though the man is married to another woman with grown-up kids, he suddenly eloped with this young soldier. I was told the girl also had kids before joining the army as well.
“The man still has a father; his brother is also a soldier working at a battalion in Kaduna. The lady was also raped before they were beheaded,” a soldier told Sahara Reporters.
Attacks by armed men have increased in the South East in recent times. The attacks often target security agencies and government facilities.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and groups linked to them have been blamed for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.