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Day of rage in Anambra
�Govt House, vehicles, Radio stations burnt
FELIX UKA, Awka, and ALPHONSUS NWEZE, Onitsha
UNIDENTIFIED gunmen yesterday stormed Government House, Awka, the seat of power in Anambra State, burnt down the
gate, dispersed the workers and proceeded to set fire to Gov. Chris Ngige�s Executive Chambers.
But the governor, who only about five months ago celebrated one year of his abduction and restoration on July 10,
2003, was away on official assignment to Abuja.
The residential quarters of members of the State House of Assembly were destroyed by suspected thugs after policemen
initially posted there to safeguard lives and property were reportedly withdrawn by state Police Commissioner,
Mr. Felix Ogbaudu.
The gunmen, alleged to be working in tandem with some equally unidentified arsonists, unleashed further terror
on the state, storming the headquarters of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), near the
Government House, which they set ablaze at 11.04 am.
The whereabouts of the ANSIEC chairman, Chief Cornel Umeh, remained unknown as at press time even as two stations
(Awka and Onitsha) of the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) were burnt down.
The rampaging group, atimes divided into splinter units, also showed presence in the South-East commercial hub
of Onitsha where they reportedly set ablaze two luxury buses and blocked, for several hours, the Niger Bridgehead
area, a vital link of the South-East to the West and North.
Reports also said some state government-owned vehicles were torched in both Awka and Onitsha, fuelling fresh fear
in the populace and the consequent withdrawal of most vehicles from the roads.
Top government officials went into hiding or resorted to riding in private vehicles or official vehicles marked
with security numbers.
The Mafia movie-like scenes started early yesterday morning when reports filtered in that hoodlums had burnt down
ABS in Awka.
Reporters went to the residential quarters of the Assembly men in the morning only to find that it was cordoned
off by armed mobile policemen.
When the journalists sought to meet with the Speaker, Mr. Mike Balonwu, one of the police officers guiding the
entrance to the quarters said: "If you go in, you won�t come out; We have no directive to allow pressmen in
or out".
When contacted on phone, the Speaker said about 300 mobile policemen took him and his colleagues hostage yesterday
morning and that one of the legislators was going about collecting signatures of his colleagues to effect his (Balonwu�s)
impeachment.
The Speaker said the police had explained that they were there to protect the legislators following tip-off that
some hoodlums were planning to destroy government facilities.
Balonwu, however, said "I disagreed with the police explanation. Anyway, we have contacted the police commissioner
and the chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Simon Okeke".
The situation became further charged with the news that a faction of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
had got police permission to hold a rally at Aromoa junction, Awka, same day, 11.00 am.
When Daily Champion visited the Enugu-Ukwu FM Station of the ABS, the studio was seen completely razed and the
four securitymen that guard it were said to have been injured.
State Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Chris Atuegwu, was met at the police headquarters in company of the
Principal Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Emma Nwosu and the Consultant to the Governor on Markets and Unions, Prince
Emeka Asoanya.
Chief Atuegwu, told newsmen that "the ugly development is co-ordinated action by the enemies of government".
He confirmed that some government vehicles and offices have been burnt.
"It is a plan to cause declaration of a state of emergency, but they won�t get that, the government is only
watching, we won�t join forces with them because we have the people�s support and are still in control of government",
the commissioner added.
He alleged that 24 hours to the incident, he had told the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, that
some people were planning to burn some government offices and quoted the police commissioner as replying that it
was going to be impossible.
"Anyway, we have heard him (Police Commissioner) tell the MOPOL Commander to remove his men from the Assembly
Quarters. Till now, that has not been effected", he said.
Efforts to get Chief Chris Uba or factional chairman of the PDP, Chief Uchenna Emordi, were unsuccessful.
Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Mr. Kolapo Sofoluwe, said that the deployment of policemen to government
offices in the state were to forestall any assault or destruction of property.
Asked if the directive was from Abuja, he said: "We have Commissioner of Police on ground here and he has
the mandate to provide security. He may not necessarily need any directive from any where to ensure security of
lives and property".
Sofoluwe, who spoke to Daily Champion about 10.35 am, said they were still watching developments so as to know
whether the rally by a faction of the PDP should hold or not.
A member of the House of Assembly who spoke to our correspondent on phone on condition of anonymity said: "Pressman,
you alone can save us - O; I learnt a bus was being arranged to take us to Enugu to effect impeachment of the governor
and the speaker. As I speak to you now, I can�t come out. So, only those outside can save this situation".
When Daily Champion visited the Iyiagu Estate quarters of the state lawmakers, later in the afternoon, the place
had been destroyed and several vehicles� windscreens smashed.
Daily Champion which then visited the state police headquarters, Amawbia-Awka, spotted some of the lawmakers taking
refuge following the destruction of their official homes. Some of the lawmakers were reportedly beaten up by the
invading hoodlums.
Briefing newsmen, Mr. Ogbaudu said the police did its best to stem the crisis, pointing out that the matter may
have worsened but for police intervention.
Ogbaudu said his men have made "some arrests", adding that he could not be specific with figures yet
as he was still awaiting a detailed briefing by his lieutenants.
Daily Champion gathered that the hoodlums numbering about 10 stormed the radio station at Park Road in GRA about
1.30 am/
They reportedly over-powered the securityman on duty and held him hostage at gun-point, while others went to the
transformer.
The hoodlums, said to be carrying two jerry cans of 20 litres of petrol each, broke into the transmitter room,
poured the petrol and set the place ablaze.
When Daily Champion visited the place, the debris of the transmitter littered the ground.
State Commissioner for Information, Chief Joe Oforkansi and ABS Managing Director, Mr. Ikechukwu Abana were at
the station to assess the damage. Okokansi said he would brief the press later in the day over the unfortunate
incident.
At the ever busy and strategic Bridgehead, business activities were literally halted as human and vehicular traffic
came to a standstill following the blocking of traffic by the hoodlums.
The hoodlums blocked roads, stopping movement of vehicles and persons from and to Onitsha, made bonfires of tyres
and the road.
Vehicles and commuters coming into Onitsha were stuck on top of the bridge, while those going out were stranded
at the Expressway.
© 2004 @ Champion Newspapers Limited (All Right Reserved).
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