A passenger was burnt alive in Nkwogu, Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State when the sit-at-home order issued by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) turned bloody on Monday.
Commercial activities were grounded in most parts of the state as residents observed the order.
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Schools were also closed while students sitting for NECO examination were prevented from taking their papers.
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased was inside one of the three buses that were torched by a mob.
Two of the vehicles, Hummer Buses, belonging to a popular transport company, Libra, were coming from Umuahia, Abia State capital, when they ran into a group of hoodlums suspected to be members of IPOB.
It was gathered that they shot at the tyres, which forced the bus to stop.
The passengers of the buses scuttled to safety, while one of the drivers was reportedly shot on the hip.
The passenger could not escape before the bus was burnt down.
Our correspondent also gathered that there was heavy shooting around Banana junction along Orlu-Owerri road as gunmen engaged security agents in a shoot-out.
The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Mike Abattam, did not pick his calls when our correspondent tried to reach him.