From Nonye Udumiri, Aba
Abia State Police Command said that the reason behind the tension noticed in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State on Thursday was because some group of persons attacked a police officer inside a tricycle.
News Echo reports that the entire Aba metropolis was shut down by police officers and some soldiers, who looked like wounded lions against the members of the public. They appear very confused at the situation.
Explaining the reasons behind the war-like situation, Abia Police Command spokesperson, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna said the situation was caused by an attack against a police man in the city.
“A police man that was traveling in a tricycle as a passenger was being attacked by some people because the tricycle he was traveling on hit a Siena car from behind.
“In a little altercation, they discovered he is a police man and somebody assaulted him and others were gathering around him.
“Noticing the situation, he had to call for rescue and our people went and rescued him. That’s what happened. Everything is under control now.”
News Echo reports that police officers, who may have a lot of anger in their hearts against the Aba public, went on rampage, destroying cars, vehicles, tricycles and threatening to kill anyone who dared them.
At Azikiwe road by Eziukwu road, the police officers who came with Hilux Vans destroyed vehicle glasses, tricycle glasses and even confiscated many of the tricycles in retaliation over the alleged attack on their colleague.
A victim, Longinus Ibeh said he was only taking his breakfast at Azikiwe road when suddenly; a team of police officers attacked, damaged his tricycle and took it to Aba Area Command.
“I was where I went to eat, all of a sudden; a team of policemen arrived, shooting guns all over the air, harassing people, spraying teargas! People ran for their dear lives.
“We thought it was over not knowing that they’re going to come with something that looks like reinforcement.
“They destroyed my brand new tricycle and took it away without any offence. What did I do to police to warrant this treatment? No provocation at all.”
News Echo reports that Aba Metropolis on Thursday morning witnessed what could be best described as Hollywood movie, as gunshots saturated the entire area for several hours.
The incident which started as early as 8a.m, led to total blockade on all the roads linking the Aba Police Area Command, Aba Prisons, Aba Central Police Station and the Aba General Hospital.
All shops, especially super markets and pharmaceutical shops that are the major products sold in the area were ordered to shutdown, sporadic shooting took over the atmosphere.
Sources within Asa road by Mosque Street, opposite Milverton Avenue and Park road told our reporter that soldiers stationed there on noticing the tension at Area Command, started asking people to raise their hands up while crossing.
We gathered that the entire Okwunauka street was blocked from the CPS gate off St. Michael’s road to the entrance of the Jubilee road spare parts market.
Likewise, the Aba High Court Street down to Hospital road electrical market, Jubilee road and St. Joseph’s street, off the Aba General Hospital lane that connects through Eziukwu road were all blocked as well.
All residents who were unlucky not to have stepped out of their houses to work or take their children to school were all stranded at home. Many even found it difficult to go out to get breakfast, as all beverage shops, groceries and even sachet water vans were prevented from nearing the area by heavily armed police officers.
In a contrary view to that of Police PPRO, a police source at Aba Area Command told our reporter that there was an intelligence that some people were coming to attack the station.
“With what happened in the most secured part of Imo State on Easter Monday, nobody is taking chances again. “Rumours of Aba being the next target after Owerri have been all over the place, and it is only a tree that will hear that it’ll be cut down and remains standstill. Everybody knows what this place represents to Aba and no Aba man will want this place to fall because here is the security base of Aba.
“The Correctional Centre is here, Police Area Command Aba is here, Police Divisional Headquarters Aba is here, DSS office is here, Aba High Court and Aba South Magistrate Court are all close here.
“Virtually everything that has to do with security and safety in Aba is here and even police clinic is also here. If you look at the other side you’ll also see the Aba General Hospital where several patients are treated on daily basis and it’s a very important centre to everybody here.
“Police cannot watch all these facilities burn, not at all. Every information whether big or small now must be taken serious. No time for complacency.
“What’s happening today is what police must do to secure all residents not just the barracks or the Correctional Centre alone.
“It’s for everybody and as you can see, people cooperated with us and vacated the area. All we need is prayers right now and not unnecessary criticisms. There’s time for everything.”
When asked why police officers were attacking innocent residents along Azikiwe road, Jubilee road and other nearest areas within the command, the source said the officers may have acted on their own.
“Nobody instructed them to do that. However, probably those people refused to close their shops when instructed to do so.
“I’m not justifying their actions because I actually don’t know what happened. The whole truth is that nobody sent them to do that.”
News Echo gathered from many sources along Jubilee road that the police officers attacking motorists were charging themselves to punish Aba residents so that they can feel what they have been feeling for awhile.
Meanwhile, many residents said they observed that the Aba Area Command Headquarters may have been instructed to go out to provoke the residents, stressing that there was absolutely no reason for the level of treatment meted against innocent motorists and traders on Thursday.
“What did we do to them? Why must the Area Commander instruct them to do what they did? Well, we all know that since that Area Commander came to Aba, he has been harassing our people with police officers who behave like touts and thugs.
“God is watching and I thank God people did not retaliate if not, there would have been bloodshed today,” a resident said.
