According to THISDAY Newspaper, the Northern Nigerians resident in Onitsha and Awka, Anambra State Nigeria commercial and administrative cities Tuesday fled to Asaba, the neigbhouring Delta State capital for safety as rumours of reprisal attacks following the post presidential election riots in some northern cities of Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna in which people of eastern extraction resident in these cities were feared to have fallen victims.
A great many of them also took refuge at the 302 field artillery regiment in Onitsha.
The northerners most of who are engaged in menial jobs as security guards, shoe shinners, petty street provision shop owners deserted their business Tuesday and went into hiding for fear of retaliation attack by some equally unguided elements in the state.
THISDAY checks also showed that police men in the state also helped some of the notherners to escape to the artillery regiment barracks. The Onitsha central mosque at Bida street near Onitsha main market was as at Tuesday evening being protected by soldiers for fear of being torched by the mostly christains dominanted residents of Onitsha.
But even as the tension mounts, the police in Anambra State said they were ready to protect the lives and property of anybody doing genuine business in the state. The State's Police command spokesman, Emeka Chuwkuemeka who expressed the police readiness yesterday advised the people of the state to go about their businesses without fear or molestation.
In another breath however, the Movement for the Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB) Tuesday warned rioters in the nothern cities of Nigeria that if the killing of Ndigbo continues till the next 24 hours, they will rise to challenge the perpertrators of the evil act.
In a communique by the organisation yesterday after its emergency meeting in Okwe-Okigwe in Imo state said that they will not fold their hands and watch Ndigbo massacred in the north.
The Communique signed by the group's Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu said it was condemning the riots in some northern cities over a presidential election adjudged to be free and fair, peaceful and credible by both local and international observers.
It added that the reckless killing of innocent people especially Ndigbo in the name of post presidential election violence is condemnable and unwarranted, even as it urged Ndigbo to remain calm wherever they are in Nigeria and await further instruction.
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