IPOB sit-at-home order flops

Four truck drivers conveying goods from Onne and Port Harcourt to the northern part of the country are reportedly missing after they were attacked by bandits suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) at Oyigbo in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident took place in the early hours of yesterday when 15 trucks conveying different goods such as baking flowers, fertilizers and Noddles beans were said to have been set ablaze.

The IPOB ordered a sit-athome in commemoration of their 19th anniversary. There was partial compliance with the order as shops, markets and businesses belonging to Igbos in Oyigbo and Port Harcourt were shut.

Some banks in Oyigbo and parts of Port Harcourt hurriedly shut down for fear of being attacked by criminals.

The sit at home order which was supposed to be peaceful turned violent when irate youths intercepted trucks conveying goods outside Port Harcourt and others coming into Port Harcourt were set ablaze.

The Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers , Notore/Indorama Trialer Park , Onne branch, Mahmud Lawal, said two of his trucks were set ablaze by the bandits.

He said other trucks conveying goods such as rice , beans, fertilizer and baking flower were also set ablaze by the bandits while about N1.2m placed in some of the trucks were stolen. He said four drivers abducted by the arsonists were missing as at yesterday.

“We were informed that it was IPOB members that set our trucks ablaze. Some of the trucks set ablaze were conveying goods outside Port Harcourt, others were parked along Port Harcourt/Aba express road by Oyigbo Timber junction while some other ones are coming into Port Harcourt through Oyigbo,” he said.

One of the truck conductors, Almed Musa, said the bandits swooped on them at about 3.00am and beat them thoroughly before setting the trucks ablaze. He said some drivers were abducted and their whereabouts were unknown.

The Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Mr Gerald Oforji who confirmed the incident said he was informed that some bandits were attacking residents of the area and threatened them not open their shops and business centres.

He said that police and other law enforcement agents quickly moved in to save the situation.

The Rivers State Police spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said about 18 persons were arrested over the incident while about four trucks were set ablaze.

He said those arrested are helping the police in their investigations.