The attack on a police checkpoint in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, at the Presco junction axis of the perpetually packed Enugu-Abakaliki expressway has resulted in the deaths of at least two persons.
According to information received by Prime 9ja Online, the incident happened at around 8 p.m. on Monday, sending cars and commuters scattering along the major road in dread.
An unidentified source told Prime 9ja Online that the terrorists rode motorcycles to target the police personnel on duty.
When the gunmen arrived at the crossroads, they immediately began firing on the officers stationed there. The officers promptly returned fire, culminating in a chaotic exchange of gunfire. Those who hurried to the area when the firing ceased saw a police officer dead and one of the assailants dead.
SP Chris Anyanwu, the Public Relations Officer for the Ebonyi State Police, confirmed the occurrence when he was called.
According to SP Anyanwu, during the battle between the Police and the unknown gunmen on Monday night, one police officer and one of the gunmen were slain.
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have threatened to shut down the South-East for five days. As a result, parents of pupils at various Unity Schools in Ebonyi State have urged the immediate closure of the schools.
Parents came to schools in the wee hours of Tuesday, requesting the release of their children and wards before the sit-at-home edict, which the secessionist organisation has indicated will begin on Friday.
“We are here to demand the release of our children,” Mrs Grace Ofor, one of the parents, said. “They have finished their exams, and I don’t see why they are still keeping them here. IPOB announced that they will shut down the South-East from Friday this week till Wednesday next week, and nobody knows how long it will last, so we urge them to let our kids go.”
Holy Rosary School in the state will be closed on Thursday so students can comply with the sit-at-home order issued by the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki.
Similarly, many events in the state have been postponed, including funerals, weddings, and other social gatherings.