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 when visited 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 said 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.
Our reporter 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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