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.
Speaking to Vanguard, 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 
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.
Vanguard
