LG Taskforce Injures Two In Abia

At least two persons sustained injuries, while a woman lost her BlackBerry phone, following an attack on a moving bus by members of the taskforce set up by the Umuahia North Local Government Area.

The incident which happened on Friday at about 2.30 p.m. in front of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abia Secretariat, Aba Road, Umuahia caused serious commotion.

Our correspondent reports that the danger was averted by quick intervention of some armed policemen in plain clothes who rushed to the scene, shot in the air before some of the taskforce men retreated.

The security operatives later dragged the bus driver and some of the taskforce men to Umuahia Railway Police Station for questioning.

The woman, who identified herself as Precious Nwokocha, said that she boarded the bus for Ndioro in Ikwuano Area at Isi Gate Umuahia.

She added that some touts jumped into the moving bus in front of Umuahia North Local  Area and started dragging the steering with the driver.

“It was quite frightening my brother, all we saw was about four men jump inside our bus and started dragging the steering with the driver.

“While some of them demanded for his ticket, others asked him to drive the vehicle to the council headquarters,’’ she said.

Nwokocha further said the vehicle skidded off the road, causing panic among the passengers.

“Some occupants have to jump out of the vehicle in fear sustaining injuries, while others abandoned their luggage.

“It was while I attempted to jump out that my BlackBerry phone fell down and before I could notice it, one of the men had picked it and disappeared,’’ Nwokocha, a native of Umuagu Ohuhu said.

Our correspondent  reports that more than 50 commercial buses with the drivers and conductors were seen impounded within the premises of Umuahia North Council on Friday.

A driver, who pleaded anonymity, said that the taskforce impounded the buses for none payment of 2012 emblem, but added that the officials thereafter added obstruction to the offence to extort money from people.

“When the taskforce men jumped inside our vehicles on the road, they asked for 2012 emblem, but on getting here they added obstruction as the offence we committed, making the money N3,500 instead of N800,’’ he said.

When contacted, Mr Frank Ibeh the Transition Committee Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, said he was in Owerri and could not provide any details.