No fewer than 50 persons, yesterday,
sustained various degrees of injuries, while about
20 shops were destroyed, following a
confrontation between some revenue collectors
from Onitsha South Local Government Area and
traders at the Millenium Merchants and Importers
Association Markets, Main Market, Onitsha.
Trouble started when Onitsha South Local
Government Area Chairman, Lady Ann
Chukwuneke, allegedly stormed the market with
over 100 youths to collect revenue from the
traders and at the same time clamp down on
street trading in the area.
A source said the council officials started
dismantling some of the shops, which did not go
down well with the traders.
This, it was learned, resulted in a free-for-all
between the traders and revenue collectors,
following which over 50 persons sustained
injuries.
Among those reportedly injured were the Vice
Chairman of the market, Prince Peter Okoye and
Obiora Otigba.
The traders began to protest, with placards
bearing inscriptions such as “The council
chairman is not a good mother,” “Governor Obiano
should remove her,” “We have lost huge sums of
money to hoodlums."
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Reacting to the development, the President of
Anambra State Markets Amalgamation Traders
Association, AMATAS, Chief Okwudili
Ezenwankwo, said the council chairman had no
right to storm the market and destroy the wares
of the traders, some of who, he said, lost huge
sums of money to hoodlums.
He said: “The governor directed me to come and
calm the traders and to reopen their shops, that
he is looking into the crisis. I am happy the
governor is aware because he does not want
crisis in the state.”
Market’s Chairman reacts
Earlier, the chairman of the market, Mr. Valentine
Ezechukwu, and former chairman, Chief Obiora
Nwankwo, described the action of the council
boss as uncalled for, adding that they had earlier
discussed with the chairman on the way forward
for the market and wondered why she stormed
the market without notice.
They said: “We gave a token to the council, yet
they stormed the market demanding N50,000 per
shop.”
Three traders, Uche Okolie, John Achukwu, from
Warri and one Joseph claimed to have lost N 2.5
million, N360,000 and N 100,000, respectively, to
the hoodlums.
The timely intervention of the Onitsha Police Area
Commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu, saved the
situation from escalating to other markets.
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