The residents of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State were on Wednesday
thrown into panic as hoodlums reportedly moved around the city setting vehicles
and motorcycles ablaze to enforce the sit-at-home on the people.
Recall that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had
declared a sit-at-home in the Southeast to honour their national leader, Nnamdi
Kanu who was arraigned in court.
It was gathered that the hoodlums in their numbers moved
around the state capital around 4:00am to 6:am setting ablaze a vehicle
belonging to an unidentified person at Hilltop junction, a road leading to the
former office of the Department of State Service, DSS.
Also, a motorcycle was burned by another set of hoodlums at
Nnodo Secondary School, near the bridge linking Ozibo development centre to the
capital city, Abakaliki.
An eyewitness who spoke anonymously at the scene of the incident at Hiltup junction said “I came to my shop this
morning, I saw marks of a burnt vehicle in front of my shop and I asked my
neighbours, they told me that hoodlums burnt it down early this morning.
“Although, the burnt vehicle have been quickly evacuated by
authorities of government” he noted.
It was equally gathered that the hoodlums roughly manhandled
a trader who opened his shop and attempted to video the incident.
In a related development, another source who spoke to
journalists anonymously at Nnodo junction said “There is panic in my side
following the burning of a bike after Nnodo Secondary School before that bridge
down down. Some motorists and passersby in my Ozibo area refused to ply that
our road but I plied it.
“One motorcycle was burnt there and people are afraid of
plying that road” he noted.
However, the sit-at-home order resulted in the shutting down
of most public and private schools in the 13 LGA of the state while the few who
opened, mobilized local security operatives to secure their schools.
A source disclosed that “Some schools did not open. A friend
took his kids to school but were turned back at the gate” he said.
Our correspondent who moved around the state capital
observed that most shop owners especially in the major markets closed their
shops for fear of attacks and killings by unknown gunmen.
It was equally observed that banks, fuel stations, transport
companies especially those who travel outside the state capital were shut down.
Also, most banks especially those located within the state
capital removed the Nigerian flags to avert attacks and destruction of
facilities by unknown gunmen.
It was gathered that the gate of the Ebonyi State Judiciary
was under lock and key to avert attacks and invasion by unknown gunmen.
A great number of heavily armed police officers were seen
patrolling around the state shortly after the incident at Nnodo and Hiltup
junction.
When contacted for confirmation, the Police Public relations
Officer, PPRO, Ebonyi State Command, DSP, Loveth Odah said the car was
overheating.
She, however, denied knowledge of the burned motorcycle at
Nnodo secondary school but vowed to brief journalists after getting details
from the leader of the show of force team, who are patrolling the state
capital.
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