The Commander of Neighbourhood Security Watch in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, a security outfit of the State Government, Leonard Igwe has narrated how his residence in the Local Government was attacked by gunmen in the early hours of Sunday with his three vehicles including his official cars burnt to ashes by the hoodlums.
About 15 persons who were in Igwe’s residence when the gunmen struck, narrowly escape death.
The incident is the second time Igwe was attacked by gunmen this year.
Narrating the incident to our correspondent, he said that a bus and a tricycle drove into his compound at 3:am on Sunday and he thought that the occupants were policemen who usually check on him not knowing that they were not.
He said; “On 13th August, 2023 around 3 am, a bus, and one keke entered my residence, I was watching them through my window and thought that they were policemen because they usually come to my place to pick me up while on patrol.
“Through their movements, I found out that they were not policemen so I flashed my torch towards their direction and asked who they were. Immediately, they ran behind their car and hid. I understood at that time that they could be unknown gunmen on a mission.
“They immediately mobilised their men to surround my house, they positioned themselves, 2 each at the four corners of my building shouting
“No Nnamdi Kanu, no peace”. “If you don’t release Nnamdi Kanu there will be no peace”. “If you like be Police, Army, Ebubeagu, Neighborhood Datch, or even Dave Umahi, we will get all of you down”.
“I asked them what do you want from me, I’m I the one holding Nnamdi Kanu? Because they were talking to me and I was responding.
“As I was talking, they began to pour fuel on my vehicles, a white Sienna bus the state government gave me for my work and my Rover car and set them ablaze.
“They also broke the glasses of my house and poured fuel to burn it down but as God may have it the fire did not catch. They went back and pushed the smaller car close to the wall of my house and put wood connecting to the ceiling line of the house but it did not catch fire.
“I and my household about fifteen of us were inside the house and they wanted to burn us together with the house but God did not allow them to succeed.
“At one point, I attempted to escape with my family through the back door but the people stationed there were ready to shoot with their AK-47 rifles.
“On my third attempt to escape, I noticed that they have gone so we left for a safe place. In my house were myself and my wife, my brother who came back from Enugu with his wife on 12th August, and some refugees taking shelter, so in all, we were fifteen in number.
“The gunmen about 20 in number stayed in my compound from 3 am to some minutes past four. The security agencies came around at about 8 am because I had to call one of our security personnel who I had his number offhand to contact the local government chairman as I was not with my phone.
“My house is in the boundary area between Agila Benue State and Ngbo my community. This is not the first time I’m being attacked this year. Hoodlums attacked me on January 31st this year at the Neighborhood Watch office at Ngbo West and burnt my Sienna bus then and now my two other cars.”
The Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ikechukwu Odono confirmed the attack.
He said “I went there yesterday morning with security personnel and I totally condemned the acts. This is the second time the commander of the Neighborhood Watch is being attacked, they first attacked him at the security office late last year and burnt a Sienna bus he was using for his work.
“Yesterday early hours they attacked his house and burnt two of his cars, they also tried to burn his house which part of it was affected.
“I totally condemned the act and I have asked the security agencies to do all they can to apprehend the hoodlums. We know that they are hiding in the local government and they must be fished out”.
On his part, the State Commander of Neighborhood Security Watch, Friday Ujor told our correspondent that some perpetrators of the crime have been arrested.
“Some of the people who carried out the first attack have been apprehended. You know crime cannot stop entirely, especially whenever they have target.
“But on this recent attack, we are still carrying out investigation to track the hoodlums that carried out the attack.
“You should know that the Ohaukwu Commander has been threatened sometimes in August last year, but we are on it,” he stated.
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