A Police Chaplain living in Aladja, Udu Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Robinson Onokahweri, has narrated how a heartless soldier shot and shattered his leg during the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh communities’ crisis, and came back to fire him again if he was not dead.

Onokahweri hails from Oviri-Olomu community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State. He has not walked since July 22, last year after a bullet from a soldier’s gun crushed his leg in a lock-down between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja.

Shot at close-range

His story: “On July 22, 2023, I was on Udu Road; the next thing I heard was that Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh were fighting again. I decided to go and rescue my family not knowing that soldiers had taken over everywhere.

“As I approached Iyeghe Quarters in Aladja, the soldiers saw me at a close range and shot me. Unlike before, during the crisis when soldiers see us (residents), they go on their way, while we go on our own.

“But on this fateful day, immediately they saw me, they opened fire and shot me, I fell and was screaming for help. The soldier walked up to me, and inquired where I was going; I told him I was a resident of Aladja.

“He said do not worry, we have been given orders and we will deal with you people. He walked away as I was writhing in pain, I heard his second asking him, is it not the person that you shot that is shouting, go and finish him.”

Narrow escape

“Immediately, I started to creep away with blood all over me. I got into an uncompleted building overgrown with weeds and kept quiet. When the soldier returned, he did not see or hear my voice, I presumed he thought that I was dead.

“After searching for a while, he went back. Later, after about 15 minutes, I started to shout for help; some people heard my voice, came to my rescue and took me to the hospital where they gave me first aid.

My sorrows

“Sympathizers rushed me to the Orthopaedic Hospital in Warri, Kate Ekpighwre Memorial Clinic Enerhen. I was there from July until August, last year where I had spent over N5million.

“It was difficult for me to raise funds for my treatment in the hospital. The grace I had was that the doctor happened to be someone from the same local government area with me, if not; the hospital would have detained me.

“During that period, the Aladja community gave me N100, 000 which I used to pay for four pints of blood during surgery. While in the hospital, they sent another N40,000 with rice and other food items, the community tried so much.

“Other good-spirited people who heard about my predicament also donated money, one of our political leaders in Olomu assisted me with N500,000 before I could be discharged.

“The doctor said I should go home on sympathy ground, and raise money to pay for the hospital bills, running into over a million naira. As I speak with you, I have paid the huge bill.

“My wife was pregnant when the incident happened and had just put to bed. She took care of me in the hospital despite her condition. It has not been easy as a family man with six children to cater for. My eldest son, who had just been admitted before the incident had to drop out of school.

Soldiers denied me

“To make matters worse, I heard the soldiers denied being the ones who shot me. The soldiers after shooting me came to question me where I was going, they now denied everything, even the team leader who gave him orders to come and finish me.

“I was even shocked that day that the same Major Solomon that most of us know in Aladja, was giving orders that I should be killed. I wondered why he ordered my killing, which is why I crept away to hide.

“All the while the crisis was lingering, soldiers did not shoot civilians or anyone in Aladja, but that fateful day was different. Thank God I did not die, if not, I would have died for nothing because the soldiers, who shot me, had denied it.

Implant

“Because of the pain I am feeling, I had to go back to the hospital, about five days ago. Due to the level of the injury then, they could not do an implant in the leg, they fixed an external fixator to hold the leg.

“As I went back to the doctor, he explained that the external fixator ought not to stay more than 16 to 18 weeks, but as I speak, it is over 30 weeks. He said the fixator has overstayed and requires removal.

“To remove means I have to undergo another round of surgeries where the implant can be done. The implant will guide the bone until about one year and a half before removal. The doctor says it will cost about N900,000 to do that.

“Do you know that until now, I have not heard from the soldiers, who shot me or the state government?” (Vanguard)

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