Panic gripped commuters and motorists on Thursday following a violent attack by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, who reportedly blocked the busy Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway shortly after the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Ituku Ozalla, Enugu State.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred just a few meters after Ituku Market, throwing the entire area into chaos as the attackers began shooting sporadically into the air. The unprovoked gunfire forced travelers to abandon their vehicles, scampering for safety in nearby bushes and ditches. Many were left stranded for several hours, as fear and uncertainty gripped the area.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as terrifying, noting that the highway, a major transit route connecting the Southeast to the South-South region, was completely grounded during the attack.
“The road was blocked, and nobody could move. People were running in different directions. We heard gunshots for several minutes,” a commercial driver who escaped the scene told reporters.
Security operatives, including military personnel, were later deployed to the area and successfully dispersed the gunmen, restoring calm to the expressway. Normalcy returned only after the intervention, but not without the trauma and distress left in the wake of the attack.
At the time of filing this report, it is unclear if there were any casualties or injuries, and no official statement has been released by security agencies.
Residents and travelers have since called on the government and relevant security authorities to intensify surveillance and reinforce patrols along the expressway to forestall future occurrences and guarantee the safety of lives and property.
