Abia Vigilante Office Set Ablaze By Angry Traders

Angry traders on Monday attacked the office of the Abia State Vigilante Group and set it on fire.

A vehicle belonging to the group was also burnt.

A trader at the Umuahia Timber Market, Ahiaeke, Mr Uche Ogbonna, told THE WHISTLER that a member of the vigilante had shot a trader dead during an argument.

He said the problem was as a result of a disagreement between the marketers and the Abia State Internal Revenue Board which imposed an annual levy of N18,000 each on the marketers.

The state revenue board had last week ordered the marketers to close down their shops from today, Monday, June 7 since they refused to pay the levy.

The marketers had insisted that the fee was too much for them as they complained of low patronage.

Consequently, the vigilante group was invited to the market by the revenue board to effect the order which led to the clash.

Mr Uche said as the arguments was hitting up, the vigilante members fired shots at the marketers and one of them, popularly known as ‘Indomie’, was hit and died.

He died immediately while 10 others were seriously injured.

The action of the vigilante allegedly provoked the marketers who retaliated by burning their office and vehicle.

Reacting to the incident, a member of the vigilante group, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the marketers were hostile and wanted to mob them hence the shooting.

He however denied anyone was killed.

He said: “We were doing our work as law enforcement agents as the state board of internal revenue service has ordered the market to be sealed off bending when they will comply with the payment.

“But before we knew it all the protesting traders came out in their numbers and started attacking us.

” So, we fired shots in the air to scare them ,as the disagreement went on, the marketers marched to our office and set the building on fire and carted away two rifles as our men scamper for safety.”