There is ongoing riot at Enugwu Ukwu in Anambra State as youths are gathering to protest the killing of a young man by the Nigeria Police for allegedly breaking the curfew imposed on Anambra State as part of the nationwide lockdown over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The centre of the riots is the popular Ezi Elias axis of the town that has been blocked for hours by the protesting youths who are burning tyres and blocking the roads with large chunks of woods as they dangle dangerous weapons.
On Tuesday, April 14, two youths were on shot dead at the New Tyre Market Area of Nkpor, Anambra State, allegedly by Policemen enforcing the restriction of movement over the Coronavirus pandemic.
As in the Enugwu-ukwu scenario, angry residents of the area embarked on protest against the shooting. The duo were killed over an argument witht he Policemen twho were enforcing the lockdown order.
According to an eye witness, one of the two victims died instantly, while the other one was said to have died at an undisclosed hospital where he was rushed to.
The angry residents blocked the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway area of New Tyre Market, making bonfire thereby, disrupting vehicular and human movement into and out of Onitsha from Nkpor Area of the State.
Travellers were trapped in the Enugwu-ukwu town area for hours and they had to take alternative routes to escape the traffic gridlock in the area.
The Police has been shooting in the air, trying to disperse the rioting youths of the town located in the strategic Old Awka-Onitsha road.
The killing of a young man, a barber apprentice and an only son from Adagbe Avomimi village of Enugwu Ugwu triggered the rioting.
The young man was allegedly heading home from work yesterday night around few minutes past 8pm when men of the Police from the Nimo unit chased him until he was knocked down by a moving vehicle.
Said a youth leader, “we have lost about three youths in Anambra State in the name of enforcing lockdown and its related policies. Officially, we have not recorded any Coronavirus related death in Anambra State, but we have had about three deaths from Police enforcement concerning lockdown/Curfew directives in the State.”
Don’t some of these our police men deserves extra training on enforcement of civil orders?