Two were killed and several injured as an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded at Orlu International Market in Imo State on Tuesday.
The explosion caused stampede and confusion as people ran helter-skelter, making many injured.
A source told the Nation: “We were at the market when we heard an explosion. There was confusion everywhere as people ran for their lives. Some people were killed in his explosion.”
Imo Police spokesman, Henry Okoye, who confirmed the accident to The Nation, said two hoodlums were killed.
“It was an IED that exploded,” he said. “The Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has deployed Anti-Bomb operatives to the scene.
According to him, “two persons who incidentally were the hoodlums were killed in the process of setting up an IED, and in the process, it exploded.”
Okoye urged calm, saying, “We have deployed operatives to the area. No cause for alarm. We ask all Imolites to report suspicious activities in their areas and be vigilant.”