Residents were thrown into panic in Aba, Abia State, at the weekend when a bomb blast seriously injured six traders at the popular Yam Market in the Osisioma-Aba axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. It was gathered that three young men were riding a commercial tricycle popularly called Keke Napep along the expressway when, on approaching the market, two of them at the back threw an explosive device believed to be a bomb into the market.
Although no life was lost immediately, however, six traders were said to have been seriously injured as a result of the impact of the explosive, which destroyed stalls and goods within the vicinity.
After the incident, the two men were reported to have, in the midst of the melee that ensued, escaped from the scene, while one person said to be the operator of the tricycle was later arrested by soldiers.
The injured traders were taken to a private hospital in the city, where they are said to be responding to treatment.
Efforts to reach army authorities in the state over the incident proved abortive, as they were yet to respond to a text messages sent to them at the time of filing the report.
However, a soldier, who did not want his name in print, said on phone: “Yes, something like that happened, but we are yet to get the details from the boys in town.”
Investigation by this reporter showed that the man arrested by soldiers was merely a commercial tricycle operator who picked the two men involved in the incident along the road to drop them somewhere and was not a member of the gang.
“The man arrested by soldiers in respect of the incident was not a member of the gang. The thing is that he picked the two men who posed as genuine passengers along the road and told him to drop them somewhere.
“But as they got to the Yam Market, the two men threw the explosive into the market and as people were scampering for safety, they too jumped down from the tricycle and escaped, leaving the tricycle operator to his fate,” the source said.
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