Unknown Gunmen: Trailer Truck Fails Brake, Kills 21, Injures More Travellers, Children At Police Roadblock In Ihiala

Over 21 persons travelling along Onitsha-Owerri road and petty traders who hawk water and other food items at the Police roadblock in Ihiala were on Sunday killed when a trailer truck descending the slopping road from Owerri allegedly failed brake and rammed into group of people and other vehicles at the police defence formation.

Sources close to Police said since members of the unknown gunmen took control of some villages in the Ihiala local government area, the Nigeria Police Force considered it very neccessary to build daily war like road block to secure the Ihiala Police Area Command which also housed the Divisional Police Headquarters which many police personnel that were driven by unknown gunmen in the interior villages now report.

The road block have a long distance like spaces inbetween more than 7 mounted electric poles.

Passengers and every other occupant in any vehicle excerpt the driver plying the Onitsha-Owerri road must come out of the vehicle and walk through the police formation with two hands up.

Those allowed to remain inside the vehicle are very elderly persons, visible pregnant women and nursing mothers with their babies.

The accident which occured between the hours of 1 and 2 pm on Sunday killed passengers mostly travellers plying the road to Owerri, the Imo State capital and other states in the Southeast and South-South zones.

Others killed included women and children who hawk items at the Police roadblock.

Residents said angry youths decided to attack the police men when search and rescue team found the lifeless body of a little boy who hawk food items at the roadblock with skull badly crushed, but, the timely intervention of the men of the Nigerian Army, the station was spared.

Residents said none of the police men on the road was killed or injured in the accident, adding, they all ran into the Police station safely.

Nigeria Police Force is yet to react to the incident.

Some residents said while they were removing dead bodies, a baby they thought were among the dead bodies cried and the baby was rushed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala.

A woman have her hand cut off in the accident.

The trailer truck fell off and stopped the wreckage at the front of shops while heading to a filling station near the Police station.

Residents said over 21 dead bodies were deposited at the morgue, including one of the survivors who died on way to the hospital.

Residents put the fiqures of those who sustained injuries at 45.