Mid-day panic took over Enugu state on Wednesday as people scampered for safely when rumours made the rounds that unknown masked gunmen were in different places enforcing the one week sit-at-home order by the Finland based factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mr. Simon Ekpa.
While some people swore that they saw masked men in cars and tricycle at some locations in Uwani and Ogui road by old Artisan market, others disagreed that they didn’t see anybody or heard any gun shot.
One of the places being pointed at as a major source from where commotion emanated from was at Ngenev, a suburb beside coal camp motor spare parts market, but an auto electrician at mission Avenue in coal camp, Mr. Emmanuel Ani said that the gun shot was heard at Mgbemena part of the coal camp and not at Ngenev.
Ani also said that he was told that there were gunshots at Maryland and other parts of the coal city which made people to close their shops. “I have already closed shop,” he said.
The same situation was reported at Nsukka and Obollo-Afor parts of Enugu North Senatorial district where economic activities were reportedly paralaized out of panic that the sit-at-home enforcers may wreck havoc in the manner they did in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
Other places where panic and running of helterskelter took place were in Emene, NOWAS, Abakpa, Holy Ghost, New Haven, and indeed most parts of the state capital.
The security agencies quickly swung into action by dispersing their men to different locations in the town which earlier than the panic started had no security presence. Helicopters were also flown round the town but the people had returned to their homes, banks shut, schools dispersed and most shops closed.
A shopkeeper in Abakpa market, Iyke Odo said “Yes, actually there was shooting in Abakpa, though I didn’t see them but there was shooting in the air which caused pandemonium and so many people injured themselves, we are yet to recover.”
Many videos were circulated which saw some armed security agents saying that the unknown gunmen in two sienna buses were confronted by them at Independence layout, but escaped through presidential road.
Another reporter claimed that gunshots were released at WEAC bus stop which made the state High court to lock it’s gates as people inside the court premises shivered.
The state government or the security agencies were yet to react to the situation at the time of this report.
