No fewer than four persons have been killed while several others sustained various degrees of injuries at the Hausa/Fulani Settlement in Abraka Market area of Asaba, Oshimili South local government area of Delta State.
The incidence, HardReporters learnt occurred Friday at about 11:30pm when persons suspected to be members of Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) invaded the unsuspecting Hausa/Fulani settlement at about Friday night at the Abraka market within the Asaba metropolis and, killed three men, one woman and left several others with injuries.
It was learnt that the suspects were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, the suspected killers shot sporadically into where the people were sleeping.
Those killed includes; Usman Abdullahi, male, 45yrs, Ali Sidi, 70yrs, Ibrahim Zubairu, 30yrs and Hauwa 22yrs and have been deposited in a hospital mortuary in Asaba.
A credible Hausa source told our correspondent that the suspects also threw bomb into their Mosque at Cable point adding that armed soldiers and policemen who came to their rescue, and on sighting the security men, the IPOB members escaped.
He said the security agents took the injured persons to the hospital for treatment and deposited the corps of the deceased at the mortuary, lamenting that they did not sleep all through the night.
However, in a press release Saturday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Zanna, disclosed that two suspects namely: Abraham Ndudi, 24 years old from Kwale, aegis of the state and Okereke Ifeanyi, 21 years from Ogbaru in Anambra State for their allege involvement in the dastardly shooting and killing of four persons at Abraka market.
According to the Polic Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Andrew Aniamaka, “The suspects were arrested from their hiding place on the ceiling of a major hotel in Abraka, Asaba, where they had fled into in their dire bid to escape arrest, are already helping the police in their investigation, efforts are on top gear to arrest the third suspect, whose real name is yet unknown but simply identified as Last Burial.”
While promising that investigation has commenced on the incident with a view to finding out the motive behind the shooting and the possible involvement of other conspirators in the unwarranted shooting and wounding of innocent persons, Zanna, enjoins “the non-Indigenes and indigenes alike not to panic or even contemplate any reprisal action as the law will surely take its course”.
The CP commiserates with the relations and friends of both the deceased and injured and assures them, as well as other citizens and residents of the state, that everything humanly possible is being done by the police and other security agencies towards ensuring their utmost safety at all times.
In the meantime, the CP along with his management team will be meeting with the leadership of non-indigenes and other key actors in the state over the unfortunate incident by 4pm today at the Police Officers Mess, Okwe, Asaba, the release added.
