Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Aba, the commercial city of Abia State was yesterday literally set on
fire when #EndSARS protesters burnt the landmark Aba Town Hall, housing the Aba South Local Government headquarters, High and Magistrate Courts in the city.
Other things touched by the protesters
were a branch of a first generation bank, Aba mall, a private initiative multi purpose business edifice under construction.
This was less than 24 hours the protesters burnt down the former Zone
6 police annex in Aba, killing two policemen in the process.
This is even as the #EndSARS protesters on Tuesday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital clashed with policemen along Bende Road, with unconfirmed report having it that one of the protesters was killed while others were injured.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had in the wake of the violent protest on Tuesday, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Aba and Umuahia.
While Umuahia remained relatively calm yesterday, Aba boiled as the protesters, defying the curfew order, marched through the streets of the city, particularly the city center to wreck havoc.
Reports had it that the protesting youths first visited the Aba Town hall (built before the country’s independence) opposite the Aba Main Motor Park, vandalized everything inside before setting it on fire.
Thereafter, the protesters were said to have moved over to the High Court complex on Pound Road, vandalized some of the buildings before
setting them ablaze.
The same fate reportedly befell a first generation bank where the
protesters were reported to have equally vandalized before moving over
to a Mall under construction in the city which was equally touched.
As early as 4:00am, a combined team of army, naval and police personnel were said to have been deployed at the Aba Correctional Centre perhaps to forestall a repeat occurrence of what happened in
Benin, Edo State early this week.
The protesters were said to be marching towards the Aba area command
of the Nigerian police, when they were dispersed by a combined team of
army and police personnel.
As at the time of filing this report, most part of the city was reported to have been taken over by soldiers who have ordered residents to remain inside.
Meanwhile, the #EndSARS protesters clashed with police on Tuesday along Bende Road in Umuahia, the capital city of Abia state, as unofficial report had it that one of the protesters was killed while others were injured.