Residents lament touts’ activities in Umuahia, cry on State government for help
Abia State government has been called upon by residents of Umuahia, the state capital, to take urgent measures to checkmate the activities of touts.
The call was coincidental to attempt by a motorist to set himself and six touts ablaze in Umuahia on Thursday.
A witness gave an account of the incident, saying the touts accused an unidentified motorist of parking wrongly. They pounced on him with an accusation that he had caused obstruction of traffic.
“They shouted and threatened to impound his bus,” the witness narrated to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“Surprisingly, the driver pulled out a jerrycan of fuel from the bus, rushed out with it and splashed the fuel on the touts and himself. He then rushed back into the car and took a packet of matches before a large crowd who had gathered at the scene held the man.
“They over-powered him and led him back into the bus,” the witness said.
NAN further gathered that it took the timely intervention of bystanders and shop owners in the area to avert what could have been a major disaster.
Several residents in the area have expressed concerns at the increasing rate of such incidents involving street urchins and urged the state government to quickly put a stop to the menace.
Gregory Kalu, a shop attendant in the area, observed that the menace of the group had gained momentum since the inception of the present administration. She described Thursday’s incident as a regular occurrence in different parts of Umuahia.
Mrs Catherine Mbanaso, a trader in the vicinity, also described the touts as “a band of notorious and vicious men” who attack motorists recklessly.
“Their reckless approach, including dragging the steering with commuter-vehicle operators on motion, had led to accidents on several occasions,” Mbanaso said.
Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Transport, Mrs Tina Ikwuegbu, confirmed to NAN that complaints about the activities if the tout has reached its peak.
NAN reports that the incident is generating public discourse with many residents calling for urgent government intervention. Ikwuegbu said that the ministry was working on measures to checkmate them.
