It was a ghost Monday in Owerri, the Imo State Capital, as students were sent home by their teachers owing to the resumption of criminal activities in the state at the weekend.
Most banks also refused to open in Owerri on Monday, while the ones opened were operating on a low scale.
Our correspondent saw students going home in the morning. When asked, the students said that their teachers asked them to vacate the school premises immediately because of fear of attack.
One of them said, “our teachers asked us to go home because today is sit- at home.”
A check by our correspondent showed that many private schools in Owerri circulated memos on Sunday, asking parents not to bring their children to school on Monday.
One of the parents, simply identified as Ejike said, “my kids are at home. They shared a memo on the school WhatsApp group asking parents and guardians not to bring their children and wards to school on Monday. That academic activities resume on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.”
It was also gathered that many shops remained closed on Monday in Owerri.
Our correspondent sighted a letter circulating on social media, asking people to observe the Monday sit-at-home.
A resident of the state who pleaded anonymity said that the recent escalation in insecurity was the major reason for the tension in Owerri on Monday.
He urged the state government and security operatives to work towards de-escalating tension in the state.
Our correspondent reported that the state had between Saturday and Sunday, witnessed attacks which resulted in arson and death of no fewer than five persons.
Gunmen had on Saturday morning bombed Umuguma Divisional Police Headquarters in the Owerri West LGA of the state. The attack led to the killing of two policemen who were on duty, razing of seven vehicles parked at the station, and the freeing of suspects in detention.
The same night, gunmen invaded the country home of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, at Awo-Omanma in the Oru East Local Government Area of the state, and burnt it.
On Saturday, gunmen killed a horticulturist, Kingsley Nwachukwu, at Nweke market square in Nkwerre community, Nkwerre LGA of the state.
The fleeing gunmen were said to have finished robbing a nearby trader before they saw some young men hanging out at a nearby pub and opened fire which led to the instant death of Nwachukwu who hailed from Umulolo village in Nkwerre Community.
Gunmen equally attacked members of the Abba community vigilante group in the Nwangele LGA of the state.
Frustrated that they could not get their targets, they burnt the operational vehicle of the vigilante group.
On Sunday morning, gunmen attacked the Omuma Divisional Police Headquarters in the Oru East LGA of the state.
Omuma is the hometown of the governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma.
The police spokesperson, Micheal Abattam, who issued a statement concerning the incident, said that a combined team of police operatives and their counterparts from the State Security Service repelled the gunmen.
According to Abattam, four of the hoodlums were killed during a gun duel and others escaped with bullet injuries.
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