How Hoodlums Set Vehicle, Motorcycles Ablaze In Ebonyi

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Some hoodlums, yesterday, set a vehicle and two motorcycles ablaze in different locations in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had, following the arrest of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in Kenya and his extradition to Nigeria to face trial, declared every Monday sit-at-home to put pressure on the Federal Government to release Kanu.

The order was later suspended, shifting the sit-at-home only on the days Kanu would appear in court.

The hoodlums, believed to be members of pro-Biafran group, operated on bicycles.

Dailys Sun gathered the hoodlums set ablaze a car on Hilltop Road, off Water Works Road, and a motorcycle at Hiltop Junction near former Department of State Services (DSS) state office.

A source in the area said the hoodlums committed the acts at about 6:am, yesterday.

The source also said the motorcycle and car owners were also beaten up by the hoodlums.

Also in another operation, the hoodlums burnt another motorcycle near Ebebe Junction after Nnodo Secondary School.

A source in the area said the situation caused fear and panic among residents of the area

“There is panic in my side following the burning of a bike after Nnodo Secondary School before bridge. Some motorists and passers-by in my Ozibo area refused to ply that our road but I plied it and dropped my children in school,” the source said.

It was gathered that security agents later arrived and took the burnt motorcycles and car away.

Police spokesperson, Loveth Odah, said the vehicle caught fire due to overheating and not as a result of attack by hoodlums.

Asked about the two motorcycles, she said she was not aware of the incidents and promised to get back to Daily Sun with details later. She was yet to do so as at the time of filing this report.

However, it was gathered some schools in the state capital did not open.

Banks ran skeletal services even as some major eateries were opened while some remained closed.

In a related development, gun, machete and club wielding youths numbering over 100 yesterday marched through some streets off the Ngwa/Ohanku Roads axis of Aba, Abia State to enforce IPOB sit-at-home order.

It was gathered that in order to enforce the order in line with the appearance of the IPOB leader in court yesterday, the youths, which included ladies and decked in all black attires, took advantage of the poor network of roads in the area and marched through some streets, including Dikenafai, Ogwo, Item, Aja and others, chanting war songs and forcing shop owners, who opened for business as well as schools, to close.

Although there was no reported case of any loss of life or destruction of property by the rampaging youths, but they succeeded in forcing people to remain indoors.

Pupils, who had earlier gone to school, were hurriedly sent back home and the schools shut.

The rampaging youths equally forced commercial vehicle and Keke operators off the streets, as commuters were stranded.

Within the hours the youths operated, they never encountered any challenge from security operatives who were said to have given the inaccessible nature of the area as excuse.

However, elsewhere in the city, people observed the sit-at-home on their own without anybody forcing them.

Markets, shops, schools, banks and filling stations were closed as there were no human or vehicular movements.

In Umuahia, the state capital, the sit-at-home was partially observed as some shops opened for business.

There were human and vehicular movements, but banks and other public institutions did not open for business.

Also, most of the popular markets in Owerri, the state capital was shut down, including banks, schools and fuel stations.

The popular Eke-Ukwu Owerri at Douglas Road was shut to customers, same as the New Market, Ama Hausa, Relief Market and the Alaba Market.

However, some vehicles, including commercial buses, were seen operating very early in the morning.

Also, markets in the rural areas as well as schools partially obey the order.