Posted by By Vincent Ujumadu, Aba on
THERE was confusion in the commercial city of Aba yesterday following the death of 21 detainees in an illegal cell allegedly being operated by the re-grouped members of the banned Bakassi vigilante outfit.
THERE was confusion in the commercial city of Aba yesterday following the death of 21 detainees in an illegal cell allegedly being operated by the re-grouped members of the banned Bakassi vigilante outfit.
Passers-by were bewildered when the Bakassi Boys shot indiscriminately in the air in the early hours of the day and later dumped the 21 bodies along the Port Harcourt road in the town and fled. As people gathered at the scene, policemen cordoned off the area. The bodies were still there as at 2.00pm yesterday.
A trader in Ariaria market who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on condition of anonymity said that the new Bakassi regrouped soon after it was banned by the Federal Government.
According to him, the new Bakassi operates in all the markets in the town but are more prominent in Ariara, Cemetery and Asa Nnentu markets, adding that they also have four cells in parts of the town where they detain and torture their victims.
Another eye witness alleged that the 21 people died as a result of suffocation following the teargas fired at them in the small warehouse which served as a cell.
He said: "Before now, many people have been missing in Aba and we feel that it is the Bakassi boys that are responsible. We want the federal government to look into the matter because we suspect that these Bakassi boys are out to create tension in Aba."
Both the area commander of the Nigeria police and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) were said to be out on official duty when this reporter visited their offices in Aba and Umuahia and their mobile telephones were also switched off.