Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Two students of Command Secondary School in Nkwoagu Military Cantonment, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Tuesday, caused serious stampede in Nkwoagu Market after scaling the fence of the school and jumping into the busy market.
This came about 72 hours after eight persons were killed in a renewed hostility between Ndiagu Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area and Enyibichiri community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state.
Nkwoagu area of Abakaliki is close to the area were the killings were carried out.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Loveth Odah, said that there was a fence demarcated the military school and the market.
Odah said: “Two students of Army Day Secondary School (Command Secondary School) jumped over the fence into the Nkwoagu Market to buy things.
“It is a fence that demarcates the school and the market. So, as soon as they jumped down, some people started running.
“The people were already afraid of a possible reprisal attack from the neighbouring community. That was what happened in Nkwoagu today.
“The students wanted to escape, may be to buy things in the market, as students’ movement is being restricted. They left the area may be because they didn’t have a gate pass; they jumped over fence.
“As soon as they landed, the people in the market started running thinking that they were warriors from either Ikwo or Izzi that came to kill them.
“People are afraid because two out the people that died (after the last attack) were innocent people going to the market.
“The police officer’s wife that they killed was picked a few metres away from the market. She was just innocently going to the market,” she stated.