Policemen and soldiers have taken control of the chaotic situation created by hoodlums in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra.
The hoodlums cashed-in on slight disagreements between some people to halt human and vehicular movement for hours on Wednesday.
Three vehicles were burnt and five others destroyed.
Used tyres were burnt in 12 different locations in the Upper Iweka axis on the Onitsha-Owerri and Onitsha-Enugu roads.
Mr Emeka Ugwu, the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Okpoko near Onitsha said the situation was under control, adding that human and vehicular movement had been restored.
He said that people were now free to go about their legitimate businesses without fear of intimidation by hoodlums.
“It is over. All is now calm and quiet. My men are on ground and patrolling the area to ensure peace,’’ he said.
NAN observed that more than 20 police vans were still patrolling the Upper Iweka axis with the support of soldiers from the Onitsha military cantonment.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NAN that the mayhem was caused by two separate incidents, which happened simultaneously at the Onitsha-Owerri road and Onitsha-Enugu roads respectively.
“In the Onitsha-Owerri axis leading to Upper Iweka, traders in Old Motor Spare Parts Market, Obosi, had a misunderstanding with some members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) over levy collection.
“Within some minutes, some hoodlums cashed-in on the squabble and started burning used tyres along the Onitsha-Owerri road, which halted movement for more than five hours.
“On the Onitsha-Enugu axis leading to Upper Iweka, there was a disagreement between articulated vehicle drivers and officials of the Anambra State Traffic Agency (ASTA).
“And before one could know it, hoodlums joined in the squabble and vehicles were burnt and shattered on the road,’’ he said.
The eyewitness said the confusion at the Upper Iweka axis, later spread to Ochanja Market, Zik Roundabout axis and Bridge-Head axis of Onitsha.