Angry youths and commercial motorcycle operators numbering more than 500 have invaded the headquarters of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, destroying and vandalizing properties of the agency.
The rampaging youths, believed to comprise Okada operators within and around the Umuguma area of the state capital, were reportedly armed with machetes, locally made pistols, broken bottles, clubs and other dangerous weapons.
The youths also made away with 86 motorcycles in the custody of the OCDA in an attack orchestrated in response to alleged incessant harassment and impounding of their source of livelihood by the local government.
The OCDA claims the impounded vehicles violated the law restricting the operation of commercial motorcycles in the state capital but the youths insist that they operate only within designated areas and accuse the OCDA of premeditated extortion.
The operators interviewed by our correspondent around the Umuguma junction craved anonymity but unanimously accused officials of the local government of charging N10,000 for the release of impounded motorcycles.
They were further angered that after paying the said N10,000, the same okada operator would still be impounded again and made to pay all over again.
Responding, Special Adviser to the General Manager of the OCDA, Ikechukwu Akumonye denied their claims in its entirety.
“No kobo was collected from any okada operator, as the impounded motorcycles were not to be released without the directive of the state governor. Our mandate was to impound, not to release,” he said.
Also commenting, General Manager, Rev. Johnson Ayozie explained that a taskforce was formed on the directive of Governor Rochas Okorocha to force the motorcycle riders out of the city centre. He noted that before the taskforce went into operation, a meeting was held with the operators and a mutual understanding was reached.
His words, “Surprisingly, last Monday, over 200 riders attacked my workers around Chibyke filling station area near Naze and beat them to stupor for enforcing the governor’s directive. Some of them were arrested and later released. We went back to work so it came as a shock to hear that they invaded our headquarters and thoroughly vandalized it,” he said.
While some public commentators maintain that the OCDA has no business enforcing the restriction law of the state, Ayozie disagreed, saying: “I work for the governor and all I know is that we were following his directive. And that is all that matters. Our mandate is to drive away every trash from the state capital and that is what we are going to do.”
He added that the governor had also directed the Police to join the taskforce in the assignment.
Meanwhile, 10 of the people suspected to have been connected with the attack have already been arrested, according to Imo State Commissioner for Police, Mr. Adisa Bolanta, who assured that the hoodlums would not go unpunished.
