Eight persons have sustained various degrees of injuries after being splashed with corrosive substance suspected to be acid by an unidentified man in Ugwuagba, Awada, near Onitsha, Anambra state.
The suspect, who fled the scene shortly after the incident, it was gathered carried out the act in the heat of altercation with a man identified as Onyeka Nwachukwu at Ngbuka old Auto Spare Parts market of the area.
“As soon as he poured the acid on them, he took to his heels and when he was pursued by onlookers, he outran them and disappeared,” a witness said.
Confirming the incident, Anambra state police command’s public relations officer, SP Haruna Mohammed, said efforts were in top gear to apprehend the fleeing suspect. Mohammed recalled: “A young man whose name and address is yet to be ascertained had a quarrel with one Onyeka Nwachukwu, aged 38 years at Ngbuka old Auto Spare Parts Market in Ugwuagba, Awada. In the heat of the altercation, the suspect who is presently on the run attacked the persons with substance suspected to be acid.”
He listed the names of the victims who suffered various degrees of injuries to include, Onyeka Nwachukwu (38), Ofili Benjamin (32) and Ofili Damian (42). “Other victims are Okoro Ebuka (23), Ekwueme Anayo (35), Nnamani Chukwu (23), Obiora Chidubem(18) and Obasi Solomon (24),” he added.
According to Mohammed, the victims were rushed to St. Martin’s hospital, Ugwuagba for treatment by Police Patrol team attached to Awada Division. He, however, disclosed that six of the victims have been treated and discharged while two others were responding treatment.
The police spokesperson added that the case was being investigated while efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspect. “The Command urges the public to be security-conscious and report suspicious persons carrying substance inside a container at unusual places in order to avert such ugly incident,” he added.
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Source: https://orientdailynews.com.ng/news/man-flees-attacking-eight-traders/
