From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Gunmen, yesterday (Sunday), attacked members of the Labour Party (LP) who were holding a meeting at Umuida, Ozzi ward 7, in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The gunmen, numbering about seven were said to have stormed the venue of the meeting on motorcycles and shot sporadically causing the party members to flee and scamper for safety.
They allegedly made away with three motorcycles, one vehicle, drinks, mobile phones, party record books, and other documents, while two vehicles and one motorcycle were burnt to ashes by the hoodlums.
Mr. Attah Chinedu, the ward Chairman of the party in Umuida, Ozzi ward 7 who confirmed the attack said that the incident happened at about 5:15 p.m. adding that no life was lost in the attack, that some members sustained minor injuries while running away from the attackers.
According to Chinedu “it was around 5:15 pm on Sunday while we were about rounding up our monthly party ward meeting at Central School Umuida that about seven armed men stormed the venue of the meeting with their motorcycle in a commando way and started firing their guns in the air to disrupt the meeting.
“While we took to our heels, they set one Toyota Corolla and one new motorcycle ablaze, made away with three other motorcycles and my own Toyota Camry car (2.2) because my car key fall off my pocket while I was running away.
“They loaded two motorcycles in my car, they collected some of our members’ mobile phones which were left on top of the table, they also packed our drinks and registers and left.
“Later, they abandoned my car and set it ablaze on their way back along the road, fortunately, no life was lost during the attack,” he said.
The ward Chairman said also that the hoodlums made away with another Toyota Camry (tinny light) that belongs to the party’s local government vice chairman who was on official visitation to the ward when the incident happened, adding that the incident has been reported to the police.
Reacting to the incident, Hon. Ejike Eze, Labour party candidate for Igbo-Eze North state constituency 1 for Enugu state house of assembly alleged that the attack was politically motivated and was orchestrated by enemies of the labour party within the state.
“This is not a case of unknown gunmen, the attack was politically orchestrated by the opposition party and enemies of our party, mind you, the Labour party is not the only party that is having meetings this period in our area, the other parties are having their meetings also but none of them has been attacked, so why Labour party?.
“Opposition parties are already jittering because of the growing popularity of LP in the area and this has not gone down well in their camps, but they don’t know that resorting to this kind of attack will not help them in any way.
“I call on our party members and supporters in Umuida, Ozzi ward 7 to remain calm as security agents would fish out the perpetrators and make them face the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, is yet to respond to calls and text messages seeking comments from him on the incident as of time of this report.