Southeast boils: Gunmen strike in Abia, truckload of live bullets arrested in Onitsha

…I’m ready to negotiate with unknown gunmen — Umahi

There is renewed apprehension in the Southeast part of the country yesterday as gunmen attacked police divisional headquarters in Abia State.

According to reports, the attack on the police facility located at the Trademore Estate in Umuahia, the state capital was carried out at about 9:45am on Sunday.

While no life was lost in the incident, one of the police personnel on  duty sustained an injury and has been taken to a hospital for treatment.

The Police Public Relation Officer in the state, Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the attack on the station.

“Yes, there was an attack on Mike Okiro Divisional Police Headquarters. We are investigating and the outcome will be made public,” he stated.

Ogbonna added that police authorities in the state were making effort to ascertain the level of damage at the facility and arrest the perpetrators.

According to him, the hoodlums arrived in four vehicles – a hummer bus and three Toyota Sienna van, as well as two motorcycles.

The command’s spokesman noted that the attackers set ablaze documents in the offices and destroyed police vehicles and motorcycles, among other valuables.

He, however, appealed to residents, especially those in the area to support the police with useful information that would assist the apprehending the suspects.

In a related development, police in Anambra State have arrested  a truck fully loaded with cartons of live bullets which fell into a ditch and spilled its content all around the street.

The incident which happened in Onitsha on Sunday morning along Awka Road attracted heavy security presence to the Awka Road area and Shoprite axis of the city.

Many churches in the neighborhood also closed early to forestall harassment of their members by law enforcement agents.

It was gathered that the truck, a Mercedes Benz 911 model was said to be moving the goods out of Onitsha to an undisclosed location when the driver lost control and the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gutter.

According to an eyewitness who spoke to some journalists around 6.50 am at the scene of the accident on Sunday, “The truck fell around 5 am, the driver and his conductor after sustaining minor injuries tried to evacuate and conceal the content of the truck but they could not do much before daybreak when some police operatives arrived the accident scene only to discover the truck was laden with a confinement of live bullets.”

The police subsequently called for backup and instantly arrested the truck driver while his conductor escaped.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ikenganya Tochukwu, confirmed the incident saying that the police are on top of the situation

Meanwhile,  the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum and Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, yesterday, said his government is ready to negotiate with unknown gunmen and empower them only if they are ready to turn a new leaf and repent.

Umahi stated this at the Grand Finale of a seven-day prayer and fasting at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, condemning the killing of policemen and burning of police stations within the Southeast region.

He reiterated the resolve of his administration to empower repentant bandits, saying that he was putting modalities in place to ensure the empowerment of 3,000 Ebonyi youths including those outside the state.

“Why are we killing security agencies and burning police stations. Our people are the ones burning police stations and killing security agencies. Most of the security agents being killed are from the Southeast. We have brought war to ourselves.

“Nobody has the capacity to come and kill us here. We are the only region at war with itself and we pretend. We are the architects of our problems. When war starts, the situation will become different. No place will be the same. No herdsmen will make attempt to kill us again,” Umahi said.

Umahi also warned that herdsmen within the region must conform to the culture of the people or face the music.

“Never again to killings. Let them not try it again. That rubbish must stop. This madness in this country must stop. The situation calls for repentance, it must not continue.”