Soldiers clash with traders in Aba

Soldiers attached to the 144 Battalion Headquarters in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State have reportedly clashed with traders at the popular auto spare parts market (Asa Nnentu) in Ugwunagbo LGA of the state.

Information reaching us has it that the soldiers had gone to the auto spare parts market to remove posters with Nnamdi Kanu’s image, allegedly pasted on various shops and around Ugwunagbo council area by followers of Nnamdi Kanu with messages warning members of the public against participating in the February 16 and March 2 general elections.

While traders of the Asa Nnentu market alleged that some soldiers who arrived in about three Hilux vans after several attempts to force people to remove the posters within their premises failed as some of the shop owners insisted that they were not the people that pasted the posters and therefore do not have the right to remove and insisted that the soldiers should tear the posters themselves.

They alleged that the soldiers apparently angered by the refusal of the shop owners to tear the posters themselves decided to arrest the shop owners which didn’t go down well with their neighbours as they attempted to resist the soldiers from taking away their colleagues.

According to sources, it was at the heat of the resistance that they (soldiers) started shooting sporadically in the market, a situation which caused pandemonium in and around the area, forcing many shop owners to close business abruptly to avoid possible massive arrest by security agencies.

Sources at the market alleged that three traders were killed in the melee and injuring many during a shootout, also engaged in indiscriminate arrest of their members whose whereabouts until the time of filing this report cannot be accounted for under the guise that they (shop owners) were members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Some of the shop owners, who pleaded not to be mentioned in a Press briefing in Aba, claimed that efforts to know the whereabouts of some of their members who were whisked away by the soldiers have failed to yield any fruit.

They claimed that information reaching them has it that the arrested persons were being planned to be moved to Ohafia Army Headquarters, from where they would be moved to Abuja even when some of them were still with bullet wounds and hasn’t been given any first aid treatment.

Efforts to reach the spokesman of 14 Brigade, Major Gbadamosi Oyegoke proved abortive, but a senior military officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity to our correspondent denied killing of any trader. But however, confirmed that two persons sustained bullet wounds when the soldiers fired warning shots to scare rampaging crowd who were hauling stones at the soldiers.

“You and I know that IPOB is a proscribed organization by the federal government. The group recently started rearing their ugly heads and have threatened that they were going to treat people who come out to vote on February 16 and March 2 like saboteurs. This has created tension among innocent and peace loving Nigerians as some have said that they will not attempt to come out on 16^th and March 2 to vote for fear of being attacked by the IPOB.

“To make good their threat, they started circulating and pasting around the Asa Nnentu market and some parts of Ugwunagbo and other parts of Aba including Milverton the message of hate. So we went to Ala Oji and other parts of Aba to remove the posters with the hate message by the IPOB people.

“We only arrested some of the traders who refused to tear the posters pasted on the inside part of their doors which was a clear indication that they were members of the proscribed group.

“We have gone to other parts of the city removing the posters with Nnamdi Kanu’s picture warning people not to come out on the election days to cast their votes, but we didn’t meet any resistance. But the Asa Nnentu traders, instead of complying, decided to be aggressive and started hauling stones at the soldiers that they even damage the glass to one of our hilux vans.

“It was while the crowd was attacking our men, that they fired warning shots which in the process hit about three persons who as we speak are receiving medical attention in a hospital in the leg. I can tell you that no one died.

“We know that the IPOB boys are trying to psych the military. IPOB people are trying to create tension in Abia and others pars of the country. But we are resolute to ensure that we give voters the maximum security on the day of election. We are also committed in ensuring that we also protect the lives and properties of the people before, during and after the coming elections.

“I can also confirm to you that we have in our custody, six suspected members of IPOB and like I said, the injured persons who sustained gunshot injury in their legs are currently receiving medical attention.”

Meanwhile, member of the civil rights group has faulted the actions of the soldiers at Asa Nnentu market.

One of the rights activists, who gave his name as Chidi Emeka, queried why the military had gone into the market without discussing with the leadership of the market.

 According to him, the situation could have better been handled if the military personnel had met with the market leaders, urging them to instruct their members to remove the said posters.

“Alternatively, if the soldiers really do not want to cause any harm on the people, they should have liaised with the leadership of the market to carry out such operation when the traders must have gone home. By that time, they will take their time to tear the posters without meeting any resistance or confrontation. That could have been the best way to handle such situation than going into the market that they know that the traders must resist their actions.

“And if I may ask, what is even wrong for the soldiers themselves to tear such posters themselves? I think that the soldiers didn’t act professionally. I want to use this opportunity to call on the Commanding Officer of 14Brigade and the Chief of Army Staff to as a matter of fact, release the said suspects in their custody. I can tell you that the people in the army custody are not IPOB members, You can say that they have sympathy for IPOB, but tagging them as IPOB members is wrong. They should profile the innocent traders and leave them to reunite with members of their family. But if they failed to do so, we are going to use every legal means to ensure that those boys are out.

“They didn’t commit any crime, but if the military feel otherwise, they should charge them to court and shouldn’t keep them in their custody as we are hearing that they want to transfer those innocent traders to Abuja by the weekend.”