Soldiers killing: Tension as Army locks down Aba

There is palpable tension in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State as soldiers locked down the city following the killing of five of their colleagues on May 30, at Obikabia Junction, Aba by gunmen.

The military had, in a statement yesterday, vowed to avenge the killing and respond fiercely to the situation.

As early as 6 am yesterday, it was gathered that soldiers blocked the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway at Arongwa Junction, preventing vehicles from Enugu, Onitsha, Umuahia, Owerri and other Eastern cities from entering Aba, reports Saturday Sun.

Those who left or entered the city, had to maneuver through bush paths where youths from villages along the way collected tolls from drivers before allowing them to pass.

The amount paid at each of the numerous “toll plazas” ranged from N200 to N1000, depending on the size of the vehicle.

It was also gathered that after maneuvering through the Arongwa military checkpoint for motorists coming from Aba, on getting to Isiala Ngwa, Umuikaa and Ntigha Junctions checkpoints, passengers including school children were asked to disembark and trek with two hands raised for a distance of about one kilometre before re-entering their vehicles that would pass the checkpoints empty.

This in no small way affected business activities in the commercial city, as trailers and other articulate vehicles could not enter or leave the city.

Vans distributing newspapers were not spared the ugly experience. Vans carrying newspapers from Port Harcourt and Aba to other parts of the South East could not navigate through Aba. As at 2 pm, newspapers were yet to arrive Umuahia from Aba and Port Harcourt.

Reports from Aba indicated that there was pandemonium within the Ngwa Road Market axis of the commercial city when soldiers at a base close to the market went into the market at about 11 am and ordered traders to close shop and go home.

Many schools, it was gathered, did not open in Aba and those who opened, had to close when the tension in the city grew.

This year’s May 30 sit-at-home turned bloody in Abia State as some soldiers were reportedly killed by gunmen said to be monitoring compliance of the sit-at-home.