Ebonyi Govt Shuts Illegal Motor Parks To Check Influx Of Arms

Ebonyi State Government in conjunction with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have banned all illegal motor parks in Abakaliki, the state capital.

This is coming few days after a bus load of arms and ammunition (which was allegedly being en route to Abia State) was intercepted in the city center by security agents.

The government said the order to close the illegal parks is to check movement of arms and ammunition in the state, adding that the directives takes immediate effect.

Commissioner for Capital Territory Development, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, and the Chairman of NURTW, Anthony Oko Ewa, announced the ban on Wednesday in a statement in Abakaliki.

They directed commercial drivers to always load and offload their passengers at approved motor parks in the state capital.

The statement read in part: “In view of the rising insecurity in the country, the Ministry of Capital City Development has directed that loading and offloading of vehicles in Abakaliki should only take place at approved public and private motor parks.

“This is to check movement of arms and ammunition, as well as criminals in and out of the state, as undercover security and precautionary measures are being put in place to avert further security breaches.

“As a result, illegal and private motor parks not approved by the Ministry of Capital City Development are hereby closed.”

The statement warned motorists and travellers to adhere to the directive, as anyone found contravening the order would be treated as a security threat and will be prosecuted.

“Passengers boarding commercial vehicles or alighting from such vehicles at unauthorised places, that is, any place other than the approved public and private parks, will be arrested with the drivers,” it stated.

Parking of vehicles along major roads in the city has also been banned.

The roads include Afikpo Road, Ogoja Road, Waterworks Road, Nkaliki Road and Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway.

“Any vehicle parked along the aforementioned roads, whether serviceable or unserviceable, will be confiscated by the Ministry of Capital City Development and the owners will be prosecuted, ” the statement added.