OWERRI – A horde of angry youths believed to be loyalists of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN,  has unleashed mayhem in Amaraku, a sleepy rural community in Isiala Mbano local council area of Imo State.

Already, property estimated at millions of Naira, including houses and other personal effects, have been destroyed, burnt or looted by the rioters, while traffic was held up for several hours on the busy Owerri-Okigwe federal highway.
A villager, who simply identified himself as Chuks for security reasons, told Vanguard that “the party loyalists were protesting the alleged kidnap of an ACN chieftain, Mr. Obinna Onuegbu, alias OMO”.

Noting that the protest had political and criminal undertones, Chuks wondered why the youths should willingly destroy people’s properties in the name of protesting against alleged kidnap.

“I have every reason to believe that the protest has political undertone. It also smacks of criminality. I wonder why the youths should descend on innocent citizens in the manner they did,” Chuks said.

Chuks said the rioters had a right to demand immediate release of Onuegbu by his abductors, but  noted that their threat to make the area most unsafe for everybody was unacceptable.

Another school of thought had it that Onuegbu allegedly had some sophisticated weapons on him before he was apprehended on his way to the home of another chieftain of the party.

“His arrest last Sunday precipitated the riot at Amaraku by supporters of ACN. The rioters are misguided because this is not the first kidnap case in the state, the current general elections notwithstanding,” Chuks said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the story when he was contacted on his mobile line.
“The police is aware of the incident. We have sent a detachment of our men to the area; we are expecting a detailed account of the situation from them,” Nwaiwu said.

The PPRO said he was not aware of any death resulting from the riot and warned that the law will take its full course if anybody or group was found liable of any offence.BY CHIDI NKWOPARA