By Lawrence Nwimo
There is palpable fear in Isuaniocha community in Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State as hoodlums numbering over 100 attacked the people of the area and destroying property worth millions of naira.
An eyewitness account said the youthful assailants stormed the area around 2pm on Monday and first struck at OFFORBRIGHT-INN and BAR, a business outfit owned by the President-General of the community. It said the attack was reportedly aimed at assassinating the community leader.
According to the eyewitness who gave her name as Peace Patrick, the hoodlums stormed the business premises around 2:00pm and were armed with guns and machetes and were irked at the absence of their target. However, they resorted to looting and destruction of property belonging to the community leader.
Workers in the guest house were brutalized by the invaders while the doors and windows were shattered beyond repair. Also, valuables including plasma televisions, and money were reportedly carted away by the hoodlums.
Not done with their mission, the hoodlums extended their attack to residents of Otoko village and caused mayhem on the people. Over 6 vehicles were vandalized while several others including the aged persons were dealt with by the hoodlums using gun and machete wounds.
Some of the victims of the attack in Otoko village disclosed the predicament of the people in the hands of hoodlums. They said the people of the area had been subjected to waves of criminal attacks from the assailants and cultists who are bent on causing pain and suffering on the people.
Narrating his ordeal, a victim, Onyebuchi Okeke said he, alongside others were carrying out community obligatory duty at a failed bridge in the community when the assailants attacked them. He said the group inflicted deep machete cuts on his head and body. ” we were working at the bridge that fell sometime ago when they suddenly came and attacked us. They told us to stop work on the bridge and started hitting us with everything they had. They injured about four of us including my colleague they shot on the hand.”
Another victim, Amaechi Ejiabor said, “the invaders were about 100 in number and were all youths. They came to Ebezi, our village square, and started shooting at us. Some of them pursued us with cutlasses and we ran away because we had no information that such thing would happen. They went to my house, destroyed my car and took the N15 million I was given to pay contractors working for my elder brother.”
Speaking to Orient Daily, Chairman of Otoko village, Okwudili Obiakor, said” I was called on phone that a certain group attacked people of my village, injuring them with guns and cutlasses. They chased away so many villagers from their houses and few of them sustained degrees of injuries.”
While he said no life was lost in the ugly incident, he failed to pinpoint the actual cause of the attack. However, Obiakor sensed the attack may have been carried out by those who are not happy about his emergence as the new village Chairman and reasoned that some people are still grumbling and embittered by his success at the Chairmanship election that held two months ago in the community.
The President General of Isuaniocha Development Union (IDU) and proprietor of the ill-fated guest house, Ambassador Frank Offorbuike Mkpume said he lost valuables worth N2million and that his N87,000 cash and television sets were all stolen by the invaders.
“I received a call on Monday from my workers that a group of cultists in the community went to my guest house, destroyed and looted my property. They broke all my glass windows, took away my money, all the televisions and valuables in my guest house and other things which I have not had enough time to examine. They went to Otoko village, attacked and wounded the people there and stole their property,” he said
While the PG maintained no idea of any ongoing rift or land issue to warrant such treatment, he said the only recent event was the Otoko village chairmanship election that held recently where comrade Okwudili Obiakor deposed Chief Donatus Okeke as the village chairman.
He said since the election, some disgruntled members of the community have been threatening the peace and tranquility of the area and has on a numerous occasions attacked the people of the community.
While the community leader appealed to government to intervene in the security situation of the area, he said the community is law abiding and would wait on government to restore normalcy in the land. He also pleaded with security agencies to be at alert in Isuaniocha community to safeguard innocent people of the community from harmed.
When contacted, Spokesperson of the Anambra Police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said the matter has not been reported to the Police but assured that he will inform the force authority .