Officers of the Ebonyi State Police Command and the COVID-19 Task Force in the Afikpo North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state have arrested over fifty (50) youths and impounded thirty seven (37) motorcycles.

They were taken into custody while protesting against the curfew imposed and the state government’s ban on commercial motorcycle operation, resulting from an alleged illegal entry into the state via its borders.

Briefing news reporters in his office at the Afikpo North Local Government Area Secretariat, the council chairman, Mr. Ogbonnaya Enyim, said the youth, mostly Okada (commercial motorcycle) riders, numbering over 100, on Monday, April 20th, 2020 stormed the popular Eke Market to protest.

He added that he ordered their arrest, following a security report that they were armed with weapons and were attempting to disrupt the peace of the council.

Enyim said,

Shortly after they were arrested and their motorcycles impounded, the youths went back and organised themselves again and came in their numbers with more weapons.

I had to immediately alert the security agencies in the local government and they came and made more arrests.

What the state government is doing is for the safety and well-being of the state. There have been cases of the virus in Enugu, which is our neighbouring state, and the state governor is working round-the-clock to ensure that the virus does not spread to the state.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.