Troops stationed in Abako town, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State have clashed with secondary school students over a girl.
The incidents resulted in the burning of an army checkpoint in Abako town by the irate students, where soldiers also allegedly opened fire on the students, and some sustained injuries.
Reports quoting a teacher in the school, Peter Anande, said that trouble started when a soldier who was a boyfriend to a female student – Veronica – bought earrings for her.
Anande reportedly said that a soldier bought earrings for his girlfriend, and she wore them to school, and was seized by the head girl of the school because such earrings are prohibited.
The girl, Vero, reported the seizure to the soldiers who were at the checkpoint.
Anande said: “When it was break time, the head girl proceeded to the main market to get breakfast, and at the checkpoint, she was harassed and assaulted by the soldiers for seizing the student’s earrings.
“A teacher who heard the incident rushed to the army checkpoint, he was also harassed and battered,” said Anande.
The news of harassment filtered into the school compound and the students mobilized and attacked soldiers at the checkpoint.
“The soldiers at the checkpoint fired at the students but they overpowered them and set the checkpoint ablaze and opened up the road, using the barricaded tyres and wood to make bone fire.”
There was tension in Katsina-Ala as residents who have been calling on soldiers to leave the area, expressed dismay on why troops who came for serious security situations would be romancing around with secondary school students.
They called for the withdrawal of the soldiers in Abako town.
Police Area Command in the area confirmed the situation and said normalcy had returned to the area.
However, the school vowed to petition the Chief of Army Staff in Abuja.
Abako town is in Katsina Ala Local Government Area, Sankera geo-political bloc, was where the late gang leader Terwase Akwaza, popularly called Gana, held sway for long.