Enugu Residents Scamper For Safety As Gunshots Rock Metropolis

Business activities ended abruptly in Enugu Monday evening following gunshots experienced at some parts of the state capital.

The gunshots occurred at Garki, Abakpa, Ogbete, Obiagu, among others. Although there has not been any confirmation on the masterminds of the act, our correspondent gathered that it was the handiwork of suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

A trader at Ogbete main market said, “We closed around 3pm because of the gunshots rocking the air. I heard that there was no business in other states of the southeast, except Enugu. So IPOB members were not happy.”

A traditional ruler in one of the communities in Nkanu West Local Government Area told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that, “I managed to escape from them at Garki. I wouldn’t know their motive, but it simply means that the cancellation of the sit-at-home order every Monday is not yet over.

“We may be in for a ‘ghost Monday’ for a long time because of the frustration in the land. It’s also possible that hoodlums are hijacking the order because the order was actually cancelled. It will be difficult to appease our youths to stop this negative development.”

Our correspondent reports that filling stations, pubs and motorists were forced to close operations around 4pm.

Police checkpoints were however unmanned, prompting speculations that police operatives left the scenes for fear of possible attacks.

Their patrol convoy was however seen in the metropolis earlier in the day.