A resident of Imo State, who brought the corpse of his friend killed in the Friday attack at Umunna to Jos for funeral, Isa Adamu, popularly known as Ike, said apart from the eight people killed, many others were injured.
“We conveyed eight corpses from the scene of the attack. But those killed were more than eight. Some bodies cannot be traced and a good number of people were injured,” Adamu said.
Adamu who is a mechanic in Lopkanta town of Umunneochi LGA of Abia State, and a friend to one of the deceased, told our correspondent that the incident occurred on Friday, around 1pm when suddenly, members of the outlawed group arrived the scene and opened fire on the victims.
Adamu said one of his colleagues, Auwal Abdulsalami, also a mechanic in Lopkanta, who was called on that Friday to repair a faulty truck in Umunna town, was among the victims.
Our correspondent reports that Auwal’s corpse arrived in Jos on Saturday night and was buried amidst tears in the early hours of yesterday.
Adamu said those who lost their lives in the incident included a mechanic, truck drivers and driver’s assistants. He said the victims were from Plateau, Taraba and Nasarawa states.
According to the witness, “After the incident, we reported it at the nearby security checkpoint in the area but they told us that they were not authorised to go to the scene”.
Adamu further explained that they conveyed the corpses to Lopkanta town and thereafter moved them to their various states of origin, recalling that “it was a bad situation that nobody is wishing to witness again.
“We went to Imo State as mechanics to sustain our lives and look at how my friend ended.
“What is happening now in Okigwe axis is beyond imagination. As I am talking to you now, hundreds of people are fleeing Okigwe LGA for their lives,” he added.
The father of one of the victims, Abdulsalami Haruna Ibrahim, described the attack as unfortunate, saying late Auwal was the breadwinner of the family.report this ad
“I received the death of Auwal with great shock. I didn’t expect it soon. It is painful but there is nothing I could do. I have left everything in the hands of God.
“Auwal was a good young man. Himself and the other children contributed money to buy a car for me. He was the best amongst my children,” he said.
