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Police investigating soldier for grenade attack on family over debt dispute

Author: Alhadi Hawari | Published: July 15, 2024

File photo of an SSPDF soldier, courtesy of [Source]

Authorities in Wau are investigating an incident involving an SSPDF soldier who allegedly threw a grenade during a dispute over a 2,000 South Sudanese pound debt, resulting in injuries to a family of three.

This is according to the acting police commissioner of Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

Major General James Simon told Eye Radio that a family of three members and a soldier who threw the grenade were injured in Wau town.

General Simon revealed that the soldier had exploded a grenade for over 2,000 pounds in Wau town of Western Bahr El Ghazal state.

The incident occurred at Aweil Jaded residential area when a drunk soldier plugged a grenade into a family of three members.

Major General James Simon spoke to Eye Radio on Monday, July 15, 2024, from Wau town of Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

“There was a soldier called Angelo Robert Nataly, 20 years old belonging to SSPDF division 5 in Wau, he had some family differences over 2000 South Sudanese pounds,” Simon said.

“He disagreed with those people and threw a grenade at them. The three people from one family are Suliman Khamis Ramadhan, 53 years, Gisma Daniel, 31 years old, and Farida Josephs Wanda, 33 years old,” he said.

“The injuries from the grenade were varying including the soldier who did this named Angelo Robert.

“The case was opened in the Northern Division of Police in Wau, and we are waiting for him to get treatment and be present to the court.”

An Eye witness Elario Saeed revealed that this incident happened when a soldier sent a boda-boda boy to buy him a cigarette, and he refused to pay the money which was 2000ssp.

“He [soldier] was very drunk at that moment, the boy ran to the house, then the soldier followed the boy by running after him to the house when the boy entered the house he just released the grenade immediately at the gate,” said Saeed.

“As the father was trying to calm him down since he was annoyed, he just opened the hand holding the grenade and released it, and the grenade exploded,” he said.

“The grenade explosion damaged the eye of the father of the boy, who was at the gate and then the mother who is coming from outside also got injured, including the soldier himself was hurt.

“Other people who were around got injured and the boy who was having problems with the soldier was taken to the police station in Aweil Jaded residential area.”

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