Biafra Day: Black Wednesday In Aba As Residents Accuse Military Of Killings

 

File photo

 

It was indeed a black Wednesday for residents of Chigbu Street off Uratta junction by Port Harcourt road in Aba South local government area of Abia State as a boy in his late twenties simply identified as Nnamdi was allegedly killed by yet-to-be identified soldiers, The Nation reports.

 

Nnamdi, an indigene of Mbano in Imo State according to some of the residents was said to have been killed by a stray bullet from the soldiers said to be on patrol in the area during the Wednesday sit-at-home protest by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in remembrance of their fallen heroes.

 

The soldiers, it was learnt were chasing after some hoodlums believed to have wanted to take advantage of the sit-at-home to cause unrest in the commercial city as they were said to be harassing innocent passersby and motorists.

 

The residents claimed that the soldiers after killing Nnmadi who they said to be in his late twenties dragged his body away and deposited it at a yet-to-be identified location.

 

A resident of Chigbu Street who claimed to have witnessed the incident in a Press conference said “early this morning, some boys were like stopping vehicles asking them to go back. To me, they are more of touts and rough guys. 

 

“Suddenly we started hearing gunshots and men on army uniform with their hilux van parked around Onyike were the ones shooting and coming down to Uratta Junction.

 

“On getting here, we all were watching from our house when their bullet hit a boy called Nnamdi from Chigbu Street. When they saw he was down, they started shouting at everyone to run and sit at home.

 

“Before you know it, they dragged the dead guy towards their van. We got the pictures, but we took it from afar. They later came back to harass people in the street which made most of the boys to run away.”

 

Our reporter couldn’t reach the army spokesman in the state for comments, but senior army personnel in the command who spoke anonymously with our reporter denied the involvement of the military in the death of Nnamdi.

 

According to the source, “Our troops at Asa General Area got information that there is a shootout along Port Harcourt road of Aba South LGA. When the troops moved to ascertain the situation, on reaching there, a group of boys suspected to be hoodlums on seeing the soldiers took off and abandoned the body of the deceased.

  

“The body of the deceased was recovered and handed over to the police for identification.”