OWERRI—Armed men
yesterday stormed Maria
Assumpta Catholic Cathedral,
Owerri, shooting
sporadically and menacingly
before kidnapping three
unfortunate citizens.
The firing caused palpable
confusion within and outside
the church premises, as
people made spirited effort
to scamper into wherever
they regarded as safe
havens.
D U R U E K E 4 A L L gathered that all
the drivers plying the ever
busy Owerri-Port Harcourt
and Owerri-Onitsha federal
highways abandoned their
vehicles on the roads and ran
for cover.
Narrating what happened to
Vanguard, an eye witness,
who gave his name as
Azubuike, said the hoodlums
operated in three vehicles,
including a Ford Focus, Ford
Ranger and Toyota Hilux.
"There was the usual Sunday
morning gridlock at Maria
Assumpta Roundabout
because of the worshippers
going into or out of the
Cathedral compound.
"When the firing died down,
about three persons,
including a knight of the
church and a woman, were
feared kidnapped," Azubuike
said.
Azubuike said the hoodlums
first attacked a Hummer Jeep
but the driver drove away,
even with his flat tyre,
adding that when they lost
their target, they quickly
kidnapped a woman that was
buying a newspaper at the
news stand.
It was feared that some
people at the vicinity were
hit by stray bullets, while
armed members of the anti-
terrorist squad of Imo State
Police Command took over
the area.
Efforts made to get the
police angle before going to
press failed as the mobile
line of the Police Public
Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr.
Linus Nwaiwu, was switched
off, while the Commissioner
of Police, Mr. Aloysius
Okorie, neither picked his
call nor replied the text sent
to him on the matter
I LOVE IMO STATE.......PLEASE STOP!
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