[VIDEO] Soldiers Battling Unknown Gunmen Endangered As Military Armoured Vehicles Break Down In Ihiala

Soldiers battling unknown gunmen on Thursday afternoon took more risk as the two giant armoured vehicles used for defense broke down at the market area in Ihiala, Anambra State.

Residents said the armoured vehicles broke down while the soldiers were returning from offensive military operations within the Ihiala local government area.

The vehicles stalled along Onitsha-Owerri road by Total filling station.

Residents said some of the soldiers mounting the gun truck quickly blocked the T-junction leading to Orlu community in Imo state while others strategies within the market area against possible attack from the unknown gunmen.

Some residents who spoke with our reporter said thanked God the Unknown Gunmen did not come out to attack the soldiers, adding that, innocent casualties would have been much “because the market area where the military armoured vehicles broke down is highly populated and surrounded with fuel stations”.

Video made available by onlooker showed some of the soldiers trying to fix the armoured vehicles.

Residents said one of the armoured vehicles with front windscreen cracked with bullets had broke down before the large troops of army arrived Ihiala main town.

It was gathered that the faulty vehicle was being towed by another armoured vehicle as seen in the video when both became faulty and broke down in front of Total filling station along the Onitsha-Owerri road in Ihiala main town.

Residents said it took the soldiers almost three hours between 1 and 3:30pm before they were able to fix one of the armoured vehicles and moved out of the area.

There are concerns that faulty military equipments and vehicles may be the reason why most Nigerian soldiers are dying in the hands of unknown gunmen secessionist group, Boko Haram, Bandits and Iswap terrorist groups in the country.

Not too long ago, along the Ihiala Onitsha-Owerri road by Ezego junction, five Nigerian soldiers were killed, others injured when armoured vehicle conveying the soldiers came in contact with unknown gunmen and somersaulted severally, pulled off into different parts while trying to negotiate a bend from the unknown gunmen.

Nigerian Army in a press release admitted only two soldiers were killed and the armoured vehicle was faulty.

Also on Tuesday, Flight Lieutenant Abubakar Alkali and Flight Lieutenant Elijah Haruna Karatu lost their lives in a military plane crash in Kaduna state. The Air Force trainer plane that killed the two officers is suspected to be faulty.

It is also worthy of note, that last year, military plane crash killed the then Chief of Army Staff, lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and ten other military officers while on official visit to Kaduna state.

The true cause of the military plane crash is yet to be officially stated in the public but many believed the plane could be faulty.

Nigerian Army last month discovered the wreckage of the Nigeria fighter jet that crashed in Sambisa Forest on March 31, 2021 with two soldiers onboard while carrying out attack on Boko Haram terrorists in the forest.

This shows how lives of Nigerian soldiers are being endangered while fighting against armed secessionists and terrorists.