DAILY NEWSWATCH – Mayhem erupted in Onitsha, Anambra State capital, in the early hours of yesterday, following the death of one person, while five others sustained various degrees of injury.
Daily Newswatch gathered that trouble started when an official of Anambra State Traffic Agency (ASTA), allegedly flagged down a 40-foot truck being driven by a Hausa man at Ihiala, Ihiala Local Government Area.
In the process, the ASTA official climbed the vehicle to direct the driver on how to park for checking, while pretending he was about to park, the driver allegedly sped off.
With the help of the conductor, the ASTA official was stabbed on the neck, tied up and he died on the spot.
As the truck driver sped off, he and his accomplice conductor were searching for a convenient place to dump the corpse unnoticed.
One of the ASTA officials, on noticing that the driver has sped off with his colleague, told others of the development and they immediately mobilised and trailed the truck to Onitsha, while making contacts with ASTA personnel in Onitsha, who helped to impound the truck at Upper Iweka axis of the commercial town.
On opening the truck, a dead man, wearing ASTA uniform, was reportedly seen tied in rope with blood gushing out of his neck. This immediately caused confusion as the crowd mobilised and set the truck ablaze.
Police and soldiers on regular patrol stormed the scene and rescued the driver, but not without resistance from the mob.
As the driver and his conductor were taken away by security operatives, the mob that had earlier barricaded the ever busy Onitsha/Asaba Expressway and made bonfires with used tyres began search for northerners around for a reprisal.
In minutes, the riot had spread to the Bridge head, Ose and Ochauja markets, which prompted northerners in Onitsha and environs to seek refuge in Onitsha Army Barracks, Central Police Station and the Central Mosque, near Onitsha main market.
As at the time of filing this report, northerners were seen being loaded in trucks with the military and police personnel escorting them to safety outside Onitsha.
Contacted, Onitsha Police Area Commander, Benjamin Wordu and the Commander of 302 Artillery Regiment, Col. Auwal Jibrin Fagge, confirmed the incident, adding that they were on top of the situation
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