Gunmen on Friday attacked Ebebe junction located within the heart of Abakaliki capital city, set a vehicle and a motorcycle ablaze.
The incident occurred at about 6:20a.m on Friday.
It was gathered that the gunmen were said to be enforcing a 2-day sit-at-home purportedly declared by the yet-to-be-identified separatist group in the South-East geopolitical zone.
But the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), had in a statement signed by Emma Powerful, it’s media and publicity coordinator, said that the group had not declared any sit-at-home in the South- East and urged the people to ignore the purported order
The sit-at-home, according to the group, was meant to protest the two-day working visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State.
Buhari was in Ebonyi on Thursday and Friday, this week where he commissioned some projects executed by Governor David Umahi’s administration.
The President also met with Southeast leaders.
No casualty was recorded, according to eyewitnesses.
An eyewitness, Mr. Anayo Chukwuemeka, said the attackers fired several gunshots that got residents panicking and scampering for safety.
“It happened in a flash. But, when normalcy returned, we came out, we saw that a vehicle has been burnt beyond recognition.
“The driver of the vehicle who managed to escape told us that the gunmen said they were enforcing the sit-at-home declared in protest of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Ebonyi.
“A motorcycle operator who also escaped the attackers’ gunshots told us that they fired at him but he miraculously dodged the bullets,” he said.
Mr Simon Onwe, a shop owner in the area, told our Correspondent that the attackers came in a vehicle without a number plate and shot sporadically in the air and fled immediately.
“I was still inside my shop because I slept there; I heard the gunshots but I discovered later that they left a vehicle burnt beyond recognition while a motorcycle operator told us that he narrowly escaped their bullets,” Simon added.
