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Indigenes and shop owners scampered for safety as gunmen invaded some parts of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital to enforce the sit at home order as instructed by the Finland based Simon Ekpa.
Ekpa the self-acclaimed loyalist of detained IPOB chief Nnamdi Kanu gave the order sometimes last week from his base.
It was gathered that some villages in the state deserted the streets of Abakaliki owing to the sporadic shootings by these unknown gunmen.
Traders hurriedly closed their shops and went into hideouts for fear of being killed or hit by a stray bullet.
According to an eye witness account, a woman who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the unknown gunmen invaded Ahia-Ohuru Market in Abakaliki and started shooting sporadically to scare people both traders and buyers away.
She said: “People who were around saw the unknown gunmen who rode on two motorcycles, with guns. They were shooting anyhow to scare people away. They even burnt down a shop belonging to a woman. They saw the woman bringing out her goods, they met her and told her to close the shop.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that some hoodlums too attacked a community in Imo state and killing three persons before the operatives of the police force arrived to repel the attack.
According to him: “People who were around saw the unknown gunmen who rode on two motorcycles, with guns. They were shooting anyhow to scare people away. They even burnt down a shop belonging to a woman. They saw the woman bringing out her goods, they met her and told her to close the shop.
Similarly, it was gathered that the popular Ebonyi International Market was abruptly closed, as well as all fuel stations in the State capital, shopping mall and other event centres in the State.
It was also gathered that the said gunmen reportedly killed some persons at Izziamgbo junction, Ishieke junction and other places in the State.
However, in a swift reaction, the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State command, CP. Aliyu Garba, who spoke to newsmen in Abakaliki, said there was no invasion by unknown gunmen in the State.
He asked the citizens of the State to remain calm.
CP. Garba noted further that he had deployed hundreds of police officers to go on patrol, looking for the said unknown gunmen.