Violence erupted in Ebem-Ohafia, Abia State over the killing of a youth of the community by the police.
Angry youths who sought to avenge the dead went on rampage as a police van, police station, customary court, and DPO’s residence got the touch of the violence.
Although soldiers have succeeded in calming the situation, tension is still high in the town.
An indigene, Mr. Madu Kalu, told The Nation: “It started at Ebem-Ohafia where a supermarket owner at the motor park close to the police station and his boys were off-loading wares from a truck around 6:30pm on Friday.
“The supermarket faces the major road in the town. A police patrolling vehicle was said to have brushed the parked truck. The supermarket owner, one Mr. Moses Aki and elderly man, came outside the store to ask the police patrol team why they wanted to spoil his wares.
“One of the police officers slapped him. The man’s grown up children and workers were annoyed by the assault and accosted the police officers. In the scuffle, a policemen shot and killed a worker. That was what sparked the whole unrest.
“So, the community youths of Ebem-Ohafia and other communities decided to go on peaceful protest. the whole place became restive between Friday night and Saturday morning. It then degenerated into violence today.
“The situation was not helped by the news that two indigenes of Abia State had already lost their lives due to the COVID-19 lockdown. So, far a police patrol, police station and customary court at Ebem-Ohafia were all torched.
“The Ohafia police later got reinforcement from Nkporo Police Station but they were also overwhelmed and had to retreat after the team shot and injured a protester. While fleeing, the police team vehicle fell inside a ditch and it was also torched.”
However, an army team from Goodluck Jonathan Barracks Ohafia is trying to pacify the situation and calm the angry youth.
