Hoodlums burn Ebonyi APC chair’s house

Thugs burned down Stanley Okoro-Country Emegha’s home in Ekoli Edda, in the state’s Afikpo South Local Government Area. He is the chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Ebonyi State.

According to an eyewitness who did not want his identity published, the incident happened on Monday at 10.18 p.m.

According to a trustworthy source in the region, Okoro-Emegha opposed the election of a youth group in the neighborhood on December 24, when supporters of the outgoing chairman of the Afikpo South LGA, Eni China, emerged as the group’s major officials.

According to the source, the APC leader had voiced his discontent with the election and apparently caught the attention of the new Council area chairman, Hon. Chima Ekumankama, who called for the dissolution of the group and urged for the poll to be called off.

On a visit in the area by the APC stalwart, the hoodlums were said to have opened fire on him and his Ebubeagu orderlies,  and pitted them in a gun duel . Sensing that the alleged AK-47 wielding hoodlums had overpowered his Pump Action-wielding Ebubeagu orderlies, the party chieftain retreated and proceeded to Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.

While in Abakaliki, news filtered in, that his country home has been set on ablaze by the suspected hoodlums.

Calls and messages made and sent to the Ebonyi Police Command were neither picked nor responded to, as of the time of filing this report, even though it was gathered that its rank and files had taken over the community to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

Confirming the incident, the APC chairman, Okoro-Emegha, said he was attacked by thugs loyal to a politician in the area, saying his house has equally been burnt by the miscreants.

He said, “Yes. It’s true. They attacked me tonight at Ekoli Edda community, and the same people, some of whom I know,  I have just heard burnt my house.

“These are Eni’s boys and they attacked me and they are they people that burnt my house. I call on the police and other security agencies to swing into action. They know what to do to unravel the truth of the matter. They know what to do.”

Efforts made to reach Chima on this matter failed, as of the time of filing this report.