May 30 killing: Tension in Aba as Army lockdown city

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

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

As early as 6 am on Friday, 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.

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 and Ntigha Junctions checkpoints, passengers were asked to disembark and trek with two hands raised up for a distance of about one kilometer, 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 leave, 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 two soldiers were reportedly killed by gunmen said to be monitoring compliance of the sit-at-home.

Unconfirmed report had imposed a dawn to dusk curfew in the city.