Although details were still sketchy as of press
time, our correspondent learnt that the youths were protesting against alleged
poisoning of a 32-year-old well during an air raid by members of the military
Special Task Force, code-named Operation Safe Haven, which led to the
death of two persons.
The death of the men in the well sparked off protest
by the youths and in the process, two persons were shot.
While the corpses of those who died in the well
had been deposited in a mortuary, those injured during the protest were said to
be receiving treatment in a hospital.
The spokesperson for the OPSH, Captain Umar
Adams, confirmed the death of the two persons, but denied that the well was
poisoned.
He said, “There is an old well in the community
that was constructed in 1985 but was abandoned for many years. Apart from the
fact that we carry out security activities to ensure that we avert crisis and
promote unity, we sometimes carry out social responsibilities.
“Our troops in Riyom said, ‘This well has been
left to waste. Why don’t we revive it so that at least everybody can benefit?’
That was why our troops decided to look for well drillers. Two young men
volunteered and said they could do it because that was their job.
“I cannot tell how those boys got inside the well
with their working tools. The debris that had accumulated inside the well, I
guess, led to their death. They may have choked to death.
“The youths mobilised in hundreds and started a
violent protest against our troops, alleging that our soldiers killed their
people, to the extent that they started damaging the accommodation of our
troops. Even the equipment in their rooms, including television sets and
generators, were scattered and damaged.”
Adams said the two persons were shot for
attempting to snatch rifles from soldiers during the protest.
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