Owerri market demolition: Father of 10-year-old killed blames soldiers
Owerri, Imo State capital went into flames Saturday morning following a clash between Imo State government forces and indigenes of Owerri over the government’s decision to demolish the famous Ekeukwu Owerri market which lead to the death of a 10 years old boy and other persons.
The state capital was under siege following the arrival of bulldozers and commencement of the exercise, which has already taken the lives of some persons, with many others injured, while property worth billions of Naira are already lost.
Narrating the situation, an eye witness who does not want to be named said: “due to refusal of the indigenes to comply with the state government’s directives to relocate the market without adequate arrangements for alternative places, three Owerri indigenes were shot by Hausa soldiers and as a result, in a reprisal attack, Owerri indigenes entered Hausa quarters, setting it ablaze, with many casualties feared. Everyone is running helter-skelter. People are running away from stray bullets. Tear gas everywhere. Owerri is hot at the moment. So far, five people are confirmed dead, including a 13-year old boy.”
According to Premium Times, Mr Ibeanusi further said the tragic incident occurred while he was trying to remove his goods during the demolition exercise, which was supervised by the army, police, State Security Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Air Force.
“I told my little son to come and assist me remove my goods from the shop before the people demolishing the market got to the place.
“When we were crossing the road we all raised our hands up but these soldiers just drove by and opened fire and shot my son in the head. The bullet hit him in the eye and came out from the back of his head and he fell and died.
“I want justice. I don’t want the killers of my son to go unpunished. He was just a little boy, he was not armed. I don’t know if I can bear this.”
However, the Army spokesperson for the Brigade, Haruna Tagwai, a lieutenant, denied that it’s soldiers shot anybody.
“Please, don’t go and write what you don’t know. The soldiers deployed to the market did not shoot anybody,” he said when contacted on Saturday, August 26.
The state capital was under siege following the arrival of bulldozers and commencement of the exercise, which has already taken the lives of some persons, with many others injured, while property worth billions of Naira are already lost.
Narrating the situation, an eye witness who does not want to be named said: “due to refusal of the indigenes to comply with the state government’s directives to relocate the market without adequate arrangements for alternative places, three Owerri indigenes were shot by Hausa soldiers and as a result, in a reprisal attack, Owerri indigenes entered Hausa quarters, setting it ablaze, with many casualties feared. Everyone is running helter-skelter. People are running away from stray bullets. Tear gas everywhere. Owerri is hot at the moment. So far, five people are confirmed dead, including a 13-year old boy.”
According to Premium Times, Mr Ibeanusi further said the tragic incident occurred while he was trying to remove his goods during the demolition exercise, which was supervised by the army, police, State Security Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Air Force.
“I told my little son to come and assist me remove my goods from the shop before the people demolishing the market got to the place.
“When we were crossing the road we all raised our hands up but these soldiers just drove by and opened fire and shot my son in the head. The bullet hit him in the eye and came out from the back of his head and he fell and died.
“I want justice. I don’t want the killers of my son to go unpunished. He was just a little boy, he was not armed. I don’t know if I can bear this.”
However, the Army spokesperson for the Brigade, Haruna Tagwai, a lieutenant, denied that it’s soldiers shot anybody.
“Please, don’t go and write what you don’t know. The soldiers deployed to the market did not shoot anybody,” he said when contacted on Saturday, August 26.
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