Sit-at-home: One car, two motorcycles set ablaze by hoodlums in Ebonyi

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

At least one car, two motorcycles were on Wednesday set ablaze by suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members enforcing the sit-at-home order in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.

IPOB had declared sit-at-home order over the trial of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, which held in the Federal High Court Abuja on Wednesday.

They set ablaze a car along Hilltop Road very close to Water walks road and a motorcycle at the Hiltop Junction near former DSS State office.

The hoodlums, around the same time, also burnt down another motorcycle near Ebebe junction after Nnodo Secondary School, Abakaliki.

The hoodlums unleashed the violence on the people, around 4a.m to 6a.m on Wednesday.

The owner of the burnt motorcycle and car, it was gathered, were also beaten up by the hoodlums.

The situation caused fear and panic among resident of the capital city.

“There is panic in my side following the burning of a bike after Nnodo Secondary School before that 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”, a source told our Correspondent.

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

Normalcy, have, however, returned to the city at the time of writing this report as some residents were seen going about their normal business activities including in the areas where the attacks occurred.

But the Police spokesperson in the State, DSP Loveth Odah denied the incident.

She 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, though, promised to get back to our Correspondent.

In a related development, the sit-at-home order declared by IPOB on Wednesday recorded huge success in the State as banks, shops, markets and majority of schools in the capital did not open for business.

Police patrol vans were also seen patrolling the streets to ward off any further attacks.

Filling stations remained closed as black market operators made brisk business selling at exorbitant prices to users.

There were also minimal human and vehicular movement within the capital city, but motor parks did not open for business.