Tension in Imo community over death of 2 oil company workers
Irate youths destroyed properties worth millions of naira including cars and other valuables in Assa Community, Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state, following the killing of two villagers by a truck belonging to Assa North Ohaji (ANOH) Gas Joint Project.
The deceased workers, Johnmark Rufus and Friday Amadi were staff of Lee Engineering Company, contracted to construct the gigantic gas project.
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Assa North-Ohaji South Gas Processing is owned and managed by Seplat and the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to develop, build, operate and maintain the gas plant in the state.
It was however, gathered that the two persons crushed to death by the truck were on a motorcycle going to work when the incident occurred at Amnesty Junction, Asaa Community.
An eyewitness said that thick smoke from a bush fire around the scene of the accident prevented both the driver of the truck and the motorcyclist from seeing each other on the bend as they rammed into each other, leaving the two occupants of the motorcycle dead on the spot.
A member of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that following the death of the two youths, their kinsmen from Assa regrouped and allegedly invaded the company.
According to reports, the angry youths also set three trucks belonging to the company ablaze, destroyed many cars and office equipment within the company premises while others were said to have looted the company’s property and office equipment.
A vigilante operative in the area added that the incident raised tension in the area as the company alerted soldiers who tried in vain to repel the invaders.
It was alleged that when the soldiers shot several persons, the others fled the scene with their motorcycles, leaving the injured in the pool of their own blood.
