A yet to be identified man is on the run after dousing eight traders with a substance believed to be acid.

“As soon as he poured the acid on them, he ran away and when he was pursued by passersby, he outran them and disappeared,” a source said.

The incident which happened at an Auto Spare Parts Market in Ugwuagba, Obosi, near Onitsha, saw eight persons hospitalised.

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The Anambra State Police Spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident said the command had commenced a manhunt for the suspect.

Mohammed said, “A young man whose name and address is yet to be ascertained had a quarrel with one Onyeka Nwachukwu, aged 38, 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 people with substance suspected to be acid.”

He said the victims sustained varying degrees of injuries. Mohammed gave the names of the victims as Onyeka Nwachukwu, 38; Ofili Benjamin, 32; and Ofili Damian, 42.

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Others are Okoro Ebuka, 23; Ekwueme Anayo, 35; Nnamani Chukwu, 23; Obiora Chidubem, 18; and Obasi Solomon, 24.”

Mohammed said the victims were rushed to St. Martin’s hospital, Ugwuagba, for treatment by the Police Patrol team attached to Awada Division, adding that six of the victims had been treated and discharged while two others were responding treatment.

He said the case was being investigated while efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspect.