How youths attacked reporters, security agents, others- Journalist
An Ebonyi-based Journalist, Uchenna Ịnya, has narrated how he and other journalists were attacked by irate youths of Nkomoro community in Ebonyi State on Saturday.
Inya, who is the correspondent of Sun Newspaper, said his car windows was smashed in the community when he went to cover the installation of a new monarch for the community.
The event turned violent when government officials coronated one of the contestants, Jacob Nwakpa against the wishes of majority of the community members.
He noted that his alertness and proactive steps ensured the attack on his vehicle was not as severe as that suffered by others including security agents.
He said: “I was invited to cover the coronation of a new traditional ruler for Nkomorọrọ community. I knew that the area is volatile so I elected to go with my car for easy escape incase of any issues.
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“I went with my colleagues Godwin Oguta and Chinelo Okoro of Unity FM.I refused to go with a convoy going to the area. I was adviced to follow army/police/convoy which accompanied one Jacob Nwakpa(one of the contestants) and I refused to do so knowing the implications.
“It was because I didn’t go with the convoy that my vehicle’s own destruction was not as serious as the vehicles in the convoy that were properly smashed.
“It was even a hand that the guy that smashed my car used and smashed it after maneuvering through a lot of them and he blocked me on the road when I almost succeeded in escaping,” he narrated.
Inya noted that he would have left earlier before the area turned violent when he noticed it was becoming charged but for the refusal of colleagues he drove to the venue.
“Both Jacob Nwakpa and Oscar Nwafor invited me and pleaded that I should join their vehicles and come there. I refused and told them that I can’t do so and decided to use my car.
“Oscar Nwafor personally pleaded that I should join his car. I told him I can’t. Jacob Nwakpa also did same and I refused because I knew what will happen.
“If Chinelo Okoro and Godwin Oguta had obeyed me when that man came out with a paper and pleaded that the exercise should not hold, nothing would have happened to my car.
“This is because atmosphere was still friendly that time but they refused to join me and I had to wait for them to meet my car.
“The youths started raising their voices and hands against Chika Igboke the Coordinator of Imoha Development Center after he presented a paper to them that he was directed by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy matters to coronate Jacob Nwakpa”
“They were protesting against it. It was at that time that a member of the community appeared with a paper which he said is a court order and pleaded that Nwakpa should not be coronated.
“While they were doing this, Nwakpa was taken and coronated which caused the crisis.
“As the youths were raising voices, Jacob Nwakpa and wife were brought down from his jeep and coronated in a place very close to where the jeep was parked which is also close to where the youths were raising voices”.
He noted the youths started destroying cars in the area leading to Nwakpa and wife being smuggled out of the area.
