HAUSA TRADERS FLEE ONITSHA AS YOUTHS PROTEST KILLING OF ASTA OFFICIAL

FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO - Business activities were disrupted, Wednesday, in
the commercial city of Onitsha following violent protests by hundreds
of youths over the alleged killing of a staff of the
Anambra State Transport Agency, ASTA, by a trailer driver of Northern
extraction.
Vanguard gathered that the Hausa driver, who was
travelling from Owerri in Imo State to Onitsha, was stopped
at Ihiala for a check and when he failed to stop, an official of
ASTA jumped into the passengers' side beside the driver,
apparently to force him to stop.
However, the driver sped off towards Onitsha, forcing ASTA
officials in Ihiala to contact their colleagues in Onitsha via
telephone to intercept the vehicle.
According to the report, when the vehicle was stopped at
Onitsha, a lifeless body of the ASTA official, still in his
uniform, was seen in the vehicle.
An eye witness who spoke to Vanguard said: "The trailer
driver, who is an Hausa man was stopped by the ASTA
people at Ihiala and when he refused to stop, one of the
ASTA men jumped into the trailer to direct him to clear off
the road.
"When the driver noticed that the ASTA man had entered his
vehicle, he zoomed off. At that point, other members of the
team started making calls to their colleagues and this led to
the interception of the driver as he was already heading
towards the Head bridge in Onitsha to cross to Asaba in
Delta State.
"When the vehicle was searched, the lifeless body of the
ASTA man was discovered with his hands tied behind him
and fresh blood gushing out from his mouth and other parts
of the body. There were also signs of injuries, indicating
that there had been a scuffle.
"On hearing of the development, youths at the Upper Iweka-
Head bridge axis mobilized themselves to attack the Hausa
traders selling goats and onions at the Head bridge area of
Onitsha.
"The youths, out of anger, set the trailer ablaze while the
driver was lucky to escape as he ran towards soldiers in the
area who whisked him away in their vehicle to avoid his
being lynched."
At the time Vanguard visited the Head bridge, Wednesday,
all the Hausa traders and other non natives had fled Onitsha
to Asaba, while others rushed into the 302 Artillery Brigade
in Onitsha and nearby police stations for safety.... Culled from vanguard