One Killed , Many Injured In Onitsha Clash

                                                

Suddenly violence erupted in Upper Iweka Onitsha as youths wielding dangerous weapons took the center stage. Everybody runs for his or her dear life. 

At the end of the chaos, one person was reportedly killed and seven others injured with Machete cuts after a clash inside Aba Motor Park located at the busy Upper Iweka axis in the Onitsha commercial city.

Ogbaru Youths Association allegedly stormed the motor park in an attempt to chase away another group of youths believed to have been appointed by the state government to take over the management of the park but the manner the came sparked off clash.

But for the timely intervention of Policemen attached to Okpoko Police Station led by the Divisional Police Officer, D.P.O, Mr  Chukwuemeka Ugwu, there would have been complete break down of law and order resulting in the massacre of people.

 State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Emeka Chukwuemeka (DSP) could not pick his phone as at press time, but the Divisional Police Officer, DPO at Okpoko, Mr. Emeka Ugwu (CSP) and the Commander of SARS in Okpoko, Anthony Ogah (DSP) confirmed the clash. They said some arrests were made.

When Ogbaru youths took over, other youths mobilized against them came from Asaba end of Onitsha/Asaba Express Road chanting war songs to engage the Ogbaru youths.

The Nation had reported how Ogbaru youths regained possession of the park from Obosi youths after engaging them in a free for all leading to the death of allegedly one person.

They later lost the control of the park to another group called itself “Task Force”, about two weeks ago before this yesterday’s development.

Having been chased away by government agents, the Ogbaru Youths numbering about 500, stormed the park in a reprisal manner and chased away the government appointees in order to return to the park but that sparked off clash.

Machetes and other dangerous weapons were freely used by both groups against each other during the clash allegedly leading to lost of one life.

The  Army, SSS, Navy, conventional policemen from both Okpoko Division and Onitsha Police Area Command and the operatives of Okpoko Unit of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, intervened in the clash.

The other version of the story had it that the feuding groups were identified as the notorious Ndi Ukwu Aziza and Ndi Ukwuotosi.

They had engaged each other, it was further gathered, over who controls the park.

Though the police denied that there was a fatality in the clash, one of the victims, who said he was a loader at the park, Mr. Chinedu Anyigor from Ebonyi State, said the fight broke out after one Ifeanyi Okafor was removed as the park manager.

 He said, “What happened was that, Mr. Ifeanyi Okafor, who was given the park by the state government to manage, sought for the help of Ogbaru youths. They came into the park and described themselves as Ndi Ukwu Aziza.

“They were in charge of collecting revenue from the park but when their activities became unbearable, they were asked to leave and another group, Ndi Ukwu Otosi, came in to take over the job.

“So the first group, who were sacked, stormed the park yesterday and started unleashing mayhem on the people and in the process, they shot one person dead.”

Lamenting the heavy loss of property during the clash, Anyigor called on the security agencies and the Anambra State Government to intervene in the matter to restore law and order to the parks.

The Police Area Commander in Onitsha, Mr. Benjamin Wordu, confirmed the incident, saying the command immediately deployed men in the area to restore peace and order

Another version has it so, One person has been confirmed dead while scores of people were injured when park touts suspected to be the notorious Ndi Ukwu Aziza and Ndi Ukwuotosi clashed at Aba central motor park, Upper Iweka in the commercial city of Onitsha.

 It was gathered that the bloody clash ensued when the two groups engaged each other in a fierce battle of wit wielding different dangerous weapons including firearms over who controls the park.

During the ensuing battle, no fewer than 27 persons including travelers and drivers allegedly sustained various degrees of injuries when the two warring factions engaged each other in a deadly battle over who takes over the Aba central park.

Though the Police authority swiftly denied any casualty during the clash, our reporter who visited the scene shortly after the clash said over 27 persons mainly women and children who were suspected to be travelers and hawkers at the park sustained machete cut wounds and other degrees of injuries from the rampaging urchins.

One of the victims who introduced himself as a loader at the park, Chinedu Anyigor from Ebonyi state disclosed that the incident occurred when a group of touts known as Ndi Ukwu Aziza allegedly recruited from Ogbaru Youths by the manager of the Aba Park, one Ifeanyi Okafor were relieved of the job following alleged illegal and criminal activities.

“What happened was that, Ifeanyi Okafor who was given the park by the state government to manage sought for the help of Ogbaru youths, they came into the park and described themselves as Ndi Ukwu Aziza, they were in charge of collecting revenue from the park but when their activities became unbearable, they were asked to leave and another group, Ndi Ukwu Otosi came in to take over the job, so the first group who were sacked stormed the park yesterday and started unleashing mayhem on the people and in the process, they shot one person dead”

Anyigor also disclosed that during the clash between Ndi Ukwu Aziza and Ndi Ukwu Otosi, property worth several millions of naira were lost, while calling on the security agencies and Anambra state government to intervene in the matter to restore law and order in the parks.

The Area Commander in Onitsha, Mr. Benjamin Wordu confirmed the incident and disclosed that the command immediately deployed team of policemen to restore peace and order in the commercial city of Onitsha and its environs and confirmed the arrest of some of the suspects.