By Anayo Okoli

Umuahia—ABA, the commercial capital of Abia State, is beginning to bubble again after some weeks of being under the siege of kidnappers who literally held the city hostage and made life very difficult for the residents.

A visit to the town yesterday saw the ever busy city gradually returning to its chaotic self where everybody is in a hurry to pursue money and make ends meet.

Banks, hospitals, offices, schools and other institutions that closed on account of the terror unleashed on the city by kidnappers are now opened. Traders in the markets have returned to their usual busy activities.

Unlike in the last few weeks when only rickety and old cars were seen on the streets of Aba, exotic, big car hitherto hidden by their owners are beginning to ply the roads again, even those who fled the city with their families are coming back.

Soldiers under the command of Major-General Serki Bello who brought peace and sanity to the city by taking a war to the den of the kidnappers, were seen patrolling every part of the city in further restoration of confidence to the people. Their Amoured Personnel Carriers were stationed in some strategic places in the commercial city, with stern looking soldiers atop, ready to strike if anything untoward happened.