We Didn't Stomp on a 20-Month-Old Baby - Army

THE 4th Brigade of the Nigerian
Army, Benin-City, Tuesday, dismissed as
false, reports that soldiers attached to the
brigade stomped on a 20-month-old baby at
Eku, Delta State during attempts to arrest
the baby’s father.
The baby, David Atori, was said to have died
on March 6, after he was alleged to have
been stomped upon by a team of security
operatives while attempting to arrest his
father, Mr. Collins Atori for allegedly burning
down an excavator belonging to Presco Oil
Plc.
    The 4th Brigade
Public Relations Officer, Eromosele J.
Unuakhalu stated that investigation into the
matter has since being carried out, adding
that nothing of such happened in the area.
Describing the allegation by the mother of
the baby, Mrs. Maureen Atori, as a cheap
blackmail, the brigade's image commander
said: "To the best of my knowledge, nothing
like that happened.
"From what I have gathered on ground, there
is nothing like soldiers from our brigade
stomping on a 20-month-old baby to death
as was reported."
In a swift reaction while countering the
claims of the army, the member
representing Ethiope East in the Delta State
House of Assembly, Hon. Evance Ivwurie
described the brigade's PRO as "a very
wicked army officer who is not speaking the
truth."
Denying attempts to blackmail the army,
Hon. Ivwurie said: "We have the utmost
respect for the Nigerian Army and Mr.
Unuakhalu should know that nobody is trying
to blackmail the army.
"This is because they (army) are adorned in
the Nigerian uniform with the sole duty to
protect the territorial integrity of the federal
republic of Nigeria."
Meanwhile findings have revealed that the
remains of the late baby David Atori has
since been deposited at the morgue of the
Eku Baptist Government Hospital by police
officers from the Eku police post pending
further investigation by the police.