Violent clashes broke out in Ogbo Hills in Aba, Abia State on Thursday afternoon.
While the cause of the incident has not been confirmed, it is being reported that the clashes were a result of a confrontation between a Hausa man and Igbo man at an abattoir.
According to one witness, the confrontation between the two men was over an unsettled debt. The Igbo man allegedly owed money to the Hausa trader, and when the debtor failed to pay the trader, the trader called upon a soldier to force him to pay. The soldier then shot and killed the Igbo man, after which bystanders chased the trader and soldier.The situation escalated from there, with hundreds of citizens, soldiers, and troops engaging in the violence.
A citizen journalist in Aba, Abia State was at the scene and reported that at least one man was killed in the conflict. A video he took showed hundreds of people in the market area as Nigerian military and police officers tried to restore order.
The Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, condemned yesterday's violence and stated that the soldier had been arrested.
A citizen reporter video, obtained exclusively by SaharaReporters, of the aftermath of the violence can be viewed below: