The Secretariat of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came under attack Thursday night as hoodlums, said to be more than 20 in number, laid siege on the two storey building located at Uyo Street Umuahia, and wrecked havoc.
The hoodlums said to number over 20 and armed with dangerous weapons, were said to have stormed the party office at about 1:00a.m. and when they could not gain access into the building resorted to cutting the flag poles and destroying the giant flex billboard.
The administrative officer, Stanley Chidi, told journalists that he was shocked when he arrived at the office on Friday morning and discovered that only the stumps of the 10 flag poles hoisting APC and Nigeria flags remained.
“The flags were nowhere to be found while the giant flex billboard bearing the images of our state party leader, Chief Ikechi Emenike and the national leader, President Muhammadu Buhari were pulled down and torn to shreds.
He said that on enquiry the security man guarding the facility narrated how the hoodlums armed with knives, iron rods, and cudgels came in the wee hours and made attempts to break into the building without success before they started their destructive rampage outside.
“From his hiding place on the second floor the security man said that he heard the hoodlums shouting threats that they will burn down the APC secretariat the next time they will come,” Chidi said.
Speaking on the incident the state organising secretary of Abia APC, Mr. Obinna Atuonwa, said that the motive for the attack could the outcome of the party congress which was swept by the loyalists of Chief Ikechi Emenike.
“We have been receiving threats since our congress was recognised by the national leadership of our great party,” he said, adding, “now that the threats have started manifesting in vandalism, the Abia APC leadership will, without delay, petition the police and ask for protection before things get out of hand.”
