By Adadainfo
A yet-to-be-identified group, Tuesday evening, attacked Pinnacle Oil and Gas filling station located at the Ugbo Okonkwo, Upper Chime Avenue part of New Haven, Enugu.
The filling station is owned by the governor of Enugu State, Mr Peter Mbah.
The unknown men arrived in multiple tricycles pretending to be buying fuel before proceeding to spread some combustible substances which they later ignited, sources that witnessed the attack said.
It was also gathered that the men later released sporadic gunshots that sent many people, including motorists buying fuel, scampering for safety.
A seller of provisions around the scene, who refused to be mentioned, said the quick intervention of police operatives repelled the attackers who fled upon sighting them.
He said the fire did not cause damage to the station as workers of the station and passersby used fire extinguishers to contain it before the arrival of the men of the state fire service.
Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Gov Mbah, a few weeks ago, banned Monday’s sit-at-home in the state. The sit-at-home was instituted by the Indigenous People of Biafra to press home the release of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is being detained at the custody of the State Services in Abuja. He is charged with running a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason.
Gov Mbah had said he would intensify efforts to effect the release of Kanu, but described the sit-at-home order of IPOB as counter-productive.
Acclaimed leader of a faction of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, dared Gov Mbah for banning the order, and threatened to make Mbah’s order futile.
Mbah’s adviser on New Media, Reuben Onyishi, in a post, confirmed the incident, but said no damage was done to the station. The voice in the video he posted was heard saying, “The propagators of the fake are enemies of Enugu State. Nothing happened here, although they tried. They were stopped by gallant police personnel. Pinnacle Oil and Gas is dispensing oil as usual. Disregard any fake news.”
A driver, Anayo Ozioko, told our correspondent that, “I passed there this morning. There was a barricade. All the vehicles are using one lane. And there is a heavy military presence there.”
