town following the two-day pro-Biafran agitation fracas, which
resulted in the death of about nine persons and destruction of
properties, are still into hiding.
When our correspondent visited Onitsha on Saturday, the baristas, shoe
menders, green grocers, barbecue sellers and allied workers, who are
of northern origin, had yet to open shops.
Investigations by our correspondent showed that most of them were
still in the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police barracks in the area,
apparently for fear of attacks.
During the Biafran agitation mayhem, the Onitsha central mosque, a
nomadic school and many other properties belonging to the Hausa
community were destroyed.
An Onitsha resident, who spoke with our correspondent, said, "After
the crisis, most of them only came out in the night to do brisk
businesses and disappear again."
Efforts to get the reaction of the Military Cantonment Central Mosque,
where most of the displaced victims camped, did not yield any results
as nobody was willing to speak on the issue.
"We don't talk to strangers. Our leader is not around. He is the only
person who has the power to talk on our behalf," one of the victims
said.
When contacted on the telephone, the state Police Public Relations
Officer, DSP Ali Okechechukwu, said the Police were in control of the
situation.
He called on the people of the state to go on with their businesses
without any fear of molestation.
He said, "The situation is calm. Nobody should be afraid or hide. The
police have brought back normalcy to Onitsha after the storm and we
are ever prepared to sustain the peace and order in Onitsha."
-PUNCH.
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