Heads May Roll, As Onitsha Traders Protest Demolition Of Shops, Demand Justice

By Mokwugwo Solomon, Awka

Traders at the Human Face Line, Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State, have gone berserk in the streets of the commercial city, protesting alleged plan by the leadership of the market to forcefully eject them from their shops, demolish same, in order to make way for construction of new ones to the determent of the traders.

The traders, who chanted war songs along the streets of Onitsha, also bore placards bearing different inscriptions such as: "We say no to construction of illegal shops in Onitsha Main Market," "Traders in Onitsha Market say no to intimidation, injustice," "Conscienceless people want to take over our shops by force," "Governor Willie Obiano, please help us," among others things.

The berserkers, who started the protest at about 5pm on Saturday, January 15, matched through strategic streets in the market, as well as adjoining streets in the commercial city, causing very heavy traffic jam, and making movements very unbearable to road users, up til 8pm.

Some of the traders, Anayo Ekulie, Nwakamma Ruben, and Florence Okpaleke, who spoke on behalf of others, noted that their problem started few weeks ago, when they were approached by the chairman of the market, Mr. Sunday Onyeka, to vacate their shops to give way for construction of new stalls, or risk being ejected forcefully.

They added that the chairman returned with tugs days after, forcefully broke into their shops, and destroyed their wares; hence, their decision tell their ordeals to the world via protest.

They further begged Governor Obiano to wade into the crisis in order to avoid further destruction of properties, breakdown of law and order, and possible bloodletting.

Our reporter made efforts to contact chairman of the market, Sunday Onyeka, for his own side of the story; but the reaction did not come as at press time.