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Vanguard Mayhem in Anambra By Tony Edike, Sufuyan Ojeifo & Anayo Okoli
* Gov, ANSIEC offices, radio stations burnt * Ngige accuses Inspector General of Police AWKA — A BAND of thugs yesterday went on the rampage in Awka and Ontisha, triggering fresh terror in Anambra State. They torched and bombed public buildings including parts of the state governor’s office and the deputy governor’s office. Also burnt were the three-storey building housing the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) where vital electoral materials were stored, two transmitters of the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) in Onitsha and Enugwu-Ukwu, near Awka. The building housing the State Education Commission was not spared with missiles hauled at it, leaving several parts damaged in addition to several cars parked within the premises and ANSIEC adjacent to it. Many vehicles were vandalised or burnt in Awka metropolis by the hoodlums numbering about 200. They were said to have swooped on the city from the Onitsha end of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway armed with explosives suspected to be bombs, pump action guns, axes, cutlasses and other lethal weapons. When Vanguard visited the Government House, some unexploded explosives suspected to be bombs were seen in front of the governor and deputy governor's offices as well as in front of the press unit. In Onitsha itself, a number of vehicles including those belonging the state government were either burnt or destroyed by the thugs who blocked the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge, leaving travellers stranded. The Iyi-Agu Housing Estate serving as official legislative quarters was cordoned off by mobile policemen who claimed they were there to secure the place. The lawmakers who were trapped said they were held hostage as they were prevented from going out or coming in. A member of the House told Vanguard on telephone about noon yesterday that the lawmakers were held hostage. "I am at Iyi-Agu now. I am trying to save my life, the place is under siege. We are held hostage here, I am trying to see how I can leave the place. The situation is critical," the legislator said. Elsewhere, in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, Uba’s local government area, the thugs allegedly stopped PDP supporters from travelling to Awka for a rally ahead of next month’s local government election. The motive for the terror was not immediately known but the state government accused Chief Chris Uba’s faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of instigating the mayhem. Chief Uba denied the allegation from Abuja. He said he was not aware of what was going on. Gov. Chris Ngige who was almost abducted by his political opponents last year and forced to sign letters to the effect that he had resigned was holed up in Abuja yesterday when the fresh crisis broke out. He accused the police of setting the stage for the violence. Media Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Fred Chukwuelobe, in a statement alleged that the "arsonists belonging to Chief Uba’s faction of the PDP in Anambra State, early Wednesday, November 10, 2004 burnt down two radio stations of the Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS). The arsonists are also burning government cars. The official car of the Chairman of Anaocha Local Government Transition Committee with number plate LG 002 NEN has been burnt. The driver narrowly escaped being burnt in the car. "Also, dozens of mobile policemen have besieged the official quarters of the members of Anambra State House of Assembly, preventing members and visitors alike from leaving or entering the place. The Speaker, Hon. Mike Balonwu, and other members are currently being held hostage. The House members are being forced to sign a document purporting that the governor resigned on July 10, 2003. They are being offered financial inducements to sign the document, failing which they will be shot. "The development came as Chief Chris Uba and his group fine-tune plans to cause confusion in the state and create the impression that law and order have broken down and possibly get the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency." Chukwulobe further said prior to the attacks, the Uba group announced on local radio stations their intentions to hold political rallies in readiness for the December 18 local government polls. He alleged that the group mobilised students and road transport workers as well as some hoodlums to unleash terror on the state. But reacting to the allegation, the PDP chairmanship candidate for Orumba South local government, Mr Izu Nwankwo, denied that the party supporters were responsible for the attack, saying the governor and members of his group planned the attack using the Bakassi Boys in a bid to create confusion to forestall the smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections in the state. "When we came out with our supporters this morning (yesterday) for the rally preparatory to the council polls, on arrival at Aroma Junction, venue of the rally, I saw fracas. We noticed that the Bakassi Boys sponsored by Ngige had destroyed and burnt the podium and were shooting sporadically to scare us away. We were told that the governor had directed that the rally should not hold. They told us to leave the place or be ready to face the music. These Bakassi men operating in several buses later drove towards the Government House where we learnt they destroyed some property. "The governor’s aim is to prevent the December 18 election from being held, but we are determined to make sure that the election is held and we are going about it very peacefully. As you can see, our supporters are here conducting themselves peacefully despite the threat by the governor’s security men to disperse us." In spite of the tense situation in the entire state capital, the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the PDP went ahead with their rally at the Aroma Junction with supporters from the 21 local government areas attending. They sang and danced for hours in support of their candidates. The whole of Awka was thrown into confusion by the development. However, anti-riot policemen were seen deployed in strategic places in the town but their presence did not stop the hoodlums from carrying out their acts as they were seen driving round the city in their fleet of buses. Hundreds of travellers passing through Onitsha and Awka were stranded and many had to walk across the Niger Bridge in Onitsha to the other side. At Government House, armed mobile policemen were seen towing away three buses and some unnumbered new motorcycles abandoned by the hoodlums as well as some government vehicles damaged during the attack. By the gate of the Governor’s Lodge at Amawbia, a police vehicle with about seven armed mobile policemen were stationed to guard the place. Following the invasion of the Government House by the hoodlums, workers and security men comprising members of the Civil Defence Corp abandoned their offices and scampered to safety. Some of them ran into the bush behind the Government House while some ran to the AHOCOL area for safety. When Vanguard called at the ANSIEC headquarters, the ground floor of the building where vital documents for the coming election were stored was still burning with members of the State Fire Service and the Red Cross Society battling to put out the fire. Narrating how the hoodlums invaded the commission, ANSIEC Internal Auditor, Pastor Louis Okeke, said at about 9.45 am, we saw a convoy of cars numbering 15 to 20 occupied by young men who started jumping out with guns and immediately started shooting sporadically into the building. "As they were shooting, we ran out in different directions. I personally ran towards the State Education Commission building but one of the invaders pursued me with a machete but I out ran him into the Real Estate and he turned back. Later, I heard a loud explosion, which ignited the building. The house burnt for several minutes before the arrival of the fire fighters who tried to put the fire out. Few minutes later, information got to the fire men that the Government House was also burning, and they moved their equipment to the place," Okeke said. Meanwhile, the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, embarked on the inspection of the damaged public buildings but he was yet to speak at press time. Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kolapo Sofoluwe, said the situation had been brought under control, adding that policemen had been deployed to guard public buildings. Gov. Ngige accuses IGP, Police Governor Ngige, holed up in the new State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro District of Abuja, reacted yesterday to the violence that erupted in Awka, saying the stage for the violence was set by the Police who had earlier moved in to disarm and arrest members of the State Vigilante Services on the orders of the Inspector General of Police. The immediate past Caretaker Committee Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Dan Ulasi, said the violence was precipitated by Bakassi Boys (members of the Anambra Vigilante Services) who stormed Aroma Junction where candidates of the party for the scheduled December 18 Local Government elections were to flag-off their campaigns. Speaking at a crowded press conference, Governor Ngige said: "I was woken up this morning (yesterday morning) by calls from my officials at Awka, specifically the Principal Secretary to the Governor and my Commissioner for Special Duties, all saying that the State Radio Station at Onitsha had been razed down by some unknown arsonists. "About the same time that this was happening, that is, in the early hours of this morning (yesterday), another group of people went to the Anambra Broadcasting Station at Enugwu near Awka and set fire to the studio complex. These facilities were all gutted by fire. I do not know the extent of damage, but I am told that the transmitter at Onitsha was burnt beyond repairs. The same goes for the studio and the studio at Awka underwent the same fate. "So, I tried to get in touch with the Commissioner of Police to find out what was happening. I got him and he told me that he learnt of that and that he had sent his men down to the place to assess the extent of damage. After I finished speaking to him, the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr. Mike Balonwu sent in a distress call to me that he and some members of the House had been held hostage at the Assembly Village in Awka. "I could not comprehend what could lead to that kind of situation. He said that the mobile police Commander at Awka had sealed off the place and said that nobody would leave the premises, but that they could only allow people in; and, that if you went in, you would not come out. "I put another call to the Commissioner of Police who assured me that he was not just getting the news from the Speaker and he had asked for the Mobile Police Commander to come and see him. The Director of State Security also got in touch with me and confirmed all these incidents to me. He even told me that he had got in touch with the Commissioner of Police because even the men he sent there on a rescue mission were not allowed in to the Assembly Village. "Ever since then, I have been trying to get in touch with the Inspector General of Police. I had earlier on yesterday (Tuesday) when I got my Attorney General’s report— a letter written by him to the Inspector of Police— decided on my own that I would see the IGP today (yesterday before leaving, because the report had chronicled the build-up to this situation. "As you all know, I was overseas. I was away for seven days and I just came in last Sunday. The Attorney General’s report showed that the men of the Nigeria Police had invaded offices and dormitories of our State Vigilante Services men and officers, impounding vehicles, seizing cutlasses and what have you. They found no guns in any of those places. It might interest you to know that the Anambra Vigilante Service is a security outfit, which we established from the ward to local government to Senatorial and to the state levels, all aimed at working with the Nigeria Police, synchronizing the efforts with the Nigeria Police to point out who the criminals in Anambra are and to point out also the robbers’’ den and areas where the hoodlums are camped. "They have been very successful in the last 15 months of my administration and Anambra State has witnessed relative peace crime-wise. So, it is strange to me that the same Police that worked with them would now go after them to start arresting them and impounding their vehicles. "But the Commissioner of Police made it clear to me that the order for the arrest, for the raid, for the seizure of the government vehicles attached to these men came from Abuja. So that was one of the reasons why I decided I must speak with the Inspector General of Police before leaving for home today(yesterday). This was my decision before all these other things erupted this morning (yesterday morning). "As I talk to you now, the hoodlums did barricade the Niger Bridge head, setting bonfires on the roads, harassing motorists. Nobody is fighting them back; nobody is touching them. Another gang came from Onitsha into Awka and went to the State Independent Electoral Commission and burnt the place down. They then marched to my Government House to go and burn the place down. "As I talk to you now, I do not know what is the state of the Government House. All these situations are worrying because I do not see how people who were supposed to protect the citizens and their properties would sit akimbo or give tacit support to arsonists and do nothing to stop them. "So, I am around Abuja. I have made contact with the Office of Mr. President and he is still in council and I am waiting for him to finish the Council meeting so that I can go and give him a security report of what is happening in my State." He said during question and answer session: "My family is very important to me. I have made contact with them and my children have been evacuated from school to an unknown destination. I have not made contact with my wife yet, but I hope they will be safe wherever they are. "For the Police colluding with the arsonists, I do not have to go too far to say that is the situation; otherwise, why did they dismantle a State Vigilante Service, which was the only outfit I was using to protect these Radio Stations, ANSIEC, my office and even my Government House and other public buildings? "Police was withdrawn from me as Governor, according to them, in partial fulfillment of a court order, but police was withdrawn from all public buildings in Anambra and we have written, asking for Police to go back to those buildings and till today, it has not been done." Ulasi faults Ngige At a separate press conference in Abuja former Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP in the State, Chief Dan Ulasi, along with Messrs Jerry Ugoke, Harry Oranisi and Ralph Okeke (all members of the House of Representatives from the State), said that it was the Government of Anambra that masterminded the violence in the Awka. According to Ulasi "unfortunately, I have been part of this tragedy in Anambra State for 17 or 18 months or thereabout and therefore I am an insider by anybody’s stretch of imagination. I was part of the Committee that finally produced the list of candidates that would run for the Local Government elections in Anambra State. Chief Audu Ogbeh headed that committee. "When he was absent, he delegated his Deputy (South), Chief Shuiabu Oyedokun to head it. The National Publicity Secretary, Venatius Ikem was there; the National Vice Chairman, Nze Ozichukwu was there; Dr. Chris Ngige was there; Chief Chris Uba, a party chieftain was there and I was there. "So, we finished it. By the time we went back, he looked at the list and said no, these are people who are supporting Mr. A or Mr. B. I told him no, that these are PDP candidates who had had won their primaries and should be allowed to run their elections. "The reply of Gov. Ngige was that the list published by the PDP was a 419 list, which unfortunately the PDP NWC had taken any decisive action to sanction Gov. Ngige for referring to the list published by the National Secretariat as 419 list. I think that was the highpoint of anti-party activity." He said that Governor Ngige and his government wanted to scuttle the conduct of the December 18 council elections, hence the step taken by their sponsored hoodlums to stop the flag-off of the party’’s campaign yesterday in Awka.
The Sun Anambra boils again The political crisis that has plagued Anambra State since
last year boiled over Wednesday when hoodlums launched a violent attack on
government property across the state. Another set of thugs was said to have attacked the
legistative quarters in Awka, where they held Speaker of the state’s House of
Assembly, Hon Mike Balonwu and other lawmakers hostage. Yet another set took
over the Niger River, preventing vehicles from coming into or leaving Onitsha. He said that it was that report that made him send his men
to protect the Legislative Quarters, which he felt would be a possible target.
Asked why he did not station his men at Government House and ANSIEC, the police
chief said his men moved from one spot to another checkmating the hoodlums.
Anambra burns
Violence was unleashed on three major
towns in Anambra State in the early hours of Wednesday by arsonists suspected to
be political thugs.
Daily Champion November 11, 2004 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.
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