- Thugs take over Abakaliki, burn police station
Unprecedented crisis erupted in Aba yesterday as residents defied the 24-hour curfew imposed by the Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. New Telegraph reports that residents trooped out in areas like Umuojima, Ariaria Junction, Asa Road and major parts of the Aba metropolis to continue with the #EndSARS protest, in total disregard to the curfew.
The clashes that were experienced in different parts of the city on Tuesday between security operatives and hoodlums escalated yesterday, as reports of casualties from the clashes circulated. While armed security agents took over the police barracks and the Aba Prison, hoodlums took over some parts of the city, vandalising government property, looting and setting up fire on major roads.
It was learnt that yesterday’s crisis escalated when some hoodlums tried to attack the Ndiegoro Police Division (Cameroon Barracks), but were confronted by heavily armed security operatives, leading to the death of one of the thugs.
The hoodlums retreated and in retaliation, began attacking any property suspected to be government-owned or related to the government. The Divisional Police Officers in charge of the Azuka Police Division and the Eziama Police Division were rescued by a re-enforcement team from the Aba Area Command and soldiers following an attack on their divisions by the hoodlums.
Some of the government property burnt yesterday are the Aba Town Hall, which is the Local Government Headquarters of Aba South Local Government Area and the office of the Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State (TIMAAS) located at Umukalika, Ogbor-Hill, Obingwa Local Government Area.
The hoodlums also vandalised banks located around the New Market (Ahia-Ohuru) and proceeded with the body of one of them, allegedly shot and killed by the police at Ndiegoro to a private property; Enyimba Mall on Etche Road and set it ablaze. A source on Etche Road told New Telegraph that the hoodlums destroyed the Enyimba Mall Outlet Shops, which is still under construction, believing that it was owned by Governor Ikpeazu.
