One Lost His Life In Explosion near police station in C’ River

 

At least one person is said to have died after an explosion in a building in Adadama, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday in a building housing many displaced persons near a vandalised police station in Adadama, was said to have injured about 30.

The people of Adadama and their Amagu neighbours in Nko LGA of Ebonyi State have for several years been engaged in violent fights over a parcel of farmland that had claimed several lives and displaced many families.

An indigene of Adadama, Mr. Richard Eroko, told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, that the dead victim of the explosion was identified as Mr. Enya Egwa of Etani clan.

He alleged that the explosive device was suspected to have been planted in the building by their Amagu neighbours in a renewed hostility.

Eroko said, “The bomb explosion that took place on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 in Adadama town claimed the life of Mr. Enya Egwa of Etani clan and it injured several others. The explosion happened in the early hours of the day at a building close to the vandalised police station near the boundary between Adadama community and Amagu community of Ebonyi State.

“The injured victims have all been taken to the hospital and they are currently undergoing treatment. The bomb was allegedly planted by the Amagu people who have been attacking, abducting and terrorising the people of Adadama over some parcel of land.”

Eroko alleged that several Adadama indigenes had been killed in the wake of the renewed hostilities which started and has been unabated since 2013 despite several peace initiatives by authorities in both states.

But while the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, said he was not aware of the latest development, one of the youth leaders in the community, Mr. Francis Eke, alleged that the incident had been reported to the police.

When contacted Ozi-Obeh simply said, “I am not aware of the development.”

However, Eke, who debunked the claims, said that the matter had been reported to the Cross River State Police Command.

Eke explained that the number of injured victims was high because the people had been sleeping together in large numbers in buildings since the renewed hostility started.

“We live in groups and in the house where the explosion took place, there were over 30 persons. The people did not suspect that there was any explosive in the house until it exploded. We have reported the matter to the Cross River State Police Command,” he said.