Gunmen Kill Two, Injure Many In Imo Market Attack

 

Suspected gunmen have killed no less than two persons at Afaor Awo market in Awo Omamma community in the Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, also left several people injured with various degrees of gunshot injury. 

Also, many others sustained injuries from stampedes as the hoodlums shot indiscriminately while chasing a man believed to be their gang member.

The horrible incident forced traders in the market to quickly close their shops, according to a Punch report.

The villagers later said a five-year-old boy was found dead after the attack.

A man who owned a motorcycle spare parts shop in the market, simply identified as Emeka, died late Wednesday night in a hospital where he was taken to.

It was gathered that the pandemonium broke out as a result of plunder sharing that went wrong.

According to them, about three members of the deadly gang had gone on kidnap operation early this year, but one of them who is popularly known as Orjiwuagu from Umuifa, Ubachima Awo Omamma, ran away with the ransom said to be in millions of naira.

He was said to have used part of the money to buy a Lexus car and start the construction of a house.

He was also said to be living large in the village.

His gang members, however, trailed him to the village, but upon sighting them, he drove towards Afor Awo Market where thousands of traders were trading.

He was said to have stopped at the market as his gang members gave him a chase. He then ran into the market for protection, though with bullet wounds.

A source said, “Based on what I witnessed, the guy being chased and his gang went for a kidnap or robbery operation which went fine. The guy, out of greed, took the money paid to them as ransom and ran away.

“Today (Wednesday), they saw him and started chasing him all the way from Ubachima Village. He came out at the Afor Market and wanted to drive to the junction, unfortunately, they double-crossed him and started shooting.

“He ran into the market and that was when bullets started hitting people. The most painful death was that of a boy of five years. He was the only son of his father.”

A spokesperson for the State Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu, told Punch he had not been briefed about the incident.