Commercial and economic activities were on Friday afternoon grounded along the ever busy Faulks road in Aba, Abia State as traders of Bakassi Line, Ariaria International Market protests killing of their members by officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Aba.
Our correspondent who was at the scene of the incident until about 5:30pm report that both commercial banks branches and shop owners along Faulks road, A Line, Power Line gate I&2, Samek, Bakassi Line and amongst others were forced to close their shops as soon as the situation went out of control.
Unconfirmed reports have it that two traders that were in their shops doing their normal businesses were killed by stray bullets from NDLEA officials who had shot at drug dealers who were fleeing from an illegal drug bunk in the area.
A source who confirmed that many traders were injured told our correspondent that only one person hit by the bullet died on the spot.
Sources told our correspondent that other traders in the area also sustained injuries from the gun shots.
The situation was said to have worsened when a group of another traders brought the lifeless body of one of those hit by the bullet and dropped his corpse in front of the police station.
It was gathered that the traders angered by the situation, went after the NDLEA personnel who ran into the Ariaria Police Station for safety.
A report had it that some of the traders overpowered the policemen on guard at the police station and went after the NDLEA official and in the process, set free some detained suspects in the police cells.
While another report had it that efforts by the traders to gain entrance into the police station to attack the NDLEA official was foiled by the efforts of the combined team of Police from Abayi, Eziama and other divisions in the city who fired several teargas canisters into the air to wade off the surging traders from gaining entry into the Ariaria Police Station.
The police were later joined by army personnel who arrived the scene with about four patrol van and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to repel the from entering the police station and carrying out a reprisal attack.
As at the time of filing this report, staff and customers of various commercial banks on the road were still in their bank premises, even as traders whose shops were far away from the place of the incident could not go into the bank to deposit their cash because both soldiers and other security personnel had restricted movement on the road.
Some of them who spoke to our correspondent feared that keeping the money in their shops or home when it was expected that the banks would resume operations may mean a great risk even as they could not have access to other parts of the town to deposit their cash in other bank branches.
Dele Akingbade, NDLEA Abia State Commandant failed to pick his calls as he was busying his line whenever his phone rang.
Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, Ezekiel Udeviotu Onyeke when contacted said he was yet to be briefed on the incident but disclosed that the State Commissioner of Police, Habila Joshiak was already in Aba to ascertain the situation.
[news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”Traders” count=”6″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link”]
Comments
2 responses to “Angry traders ground commercial activities in Aba”