Peoples Voice Premium News
GUNMEN BLOCK ENUGU/ABAKALIKI ROAD, DESPITE ARMY, POLICE CHECKPOINTS
Some gunmen in military uniforms laid siege on the Enugu – Abakaliki federal road for about two hours on Monday evening and injured several passengers.
The incident happened between 5 and 6:30pm.
SaharaReporters learnt that such attack which has become a regular feature happened about four poles apart from two military checkpoints at Enugu boundary in Idodo, Nkanu East local government area of Enugu State.
Some passengers who spoke to SaharaReporters said their vehicle ran into the hoodlums, decrying how such an attack would be happening on a straight road of about a kilometre that has seven military and police checkpoints.
They lamented that since Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State deployed several armed policemen and military personnel to the road, no week passed without gunmen attacking motorists.
Some of the victims had gunshot wounds and machete cuts on their foreheads, shoulders, and hands.
Also, the windshields of so many vehicles were shattered with bullets.
Security personnel at the Ebonyi State side of the boundary told SaharaReporters that attacks on the side of the road had become a regular thing. “For the past 30 to 45 minutes, the gunmen have been shooting nonstop. This is not the first or even second in a few days. In each attack, those in military uniforms are always among them.”
The security personnel revealed that about three weeks ago, 14 passengers were kidnapped at a military checkpoint including a senior Road Safety Official, who was later shot despite his family having paid N2 million ransom.
According to security officials, investigation and eyewitness accounts had revealed that the gunmen in military uniforms were Fulani herdsmen.
“Unfortunately, both the government and security chiefs in the South East don’t want to call them by name. Also, some of the attacks that happened at the military checkpoints are done in collaboration with some soldiers,” a source said.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Enugu State Police Public Relations, DSP Daniel Ndukwe were unsuccessful as he could not take his calls at the time of filing this report.However, the road was later cleared for motorists to pass after about one hour thirty minutes when the hoodlums eventually left the road.
