By Chinedu Adonu
The Anambra Shoe Dealers’ Market in Onitsha was thrown into chaos on Monday following a violent invasion by suspected thugs, during which several traders were reportedly brutalised.
The attack has sparked outrage among traders and their representatives, with members of the Emordi Shoe Dealers Association condemning the incident and describing it as barbaric and unacceptable.
A video circulating on social media shows some traders with visible injuries, allegedly sustained during the assault. The attackers were said to be acting on the instructions of a former chairman of the association, Nwabueze Umeh.
An anonymous trader alleged that Umeh has continued to instigate unrest in the market since the end of his tenure several years ago. According to the trader, Umeh has been in conflict with his successor, Okwudili Anigbogu, who was elected chairman under the supervision of the Onitsha South Local Government Authority.
The source said the crisis escalated after Umeh reportedly declared the recent election invalid, claiming it was annulled by Governor Chukwuma Soludo through the governor’s Personal Assistant on Markets. However, no official statement from the state government has been issued to support the claim.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the situation worsened when thugs, purportedly acting under Umeh’s influence and accompanied by operatives of the state security agency, SASA, stormed the market. During the invasion, traders were allegedly beaten, their mobile phones seized—some of which were destroyed—and goods carted away.
Witnesses further claimed that the thugs have a history of detaining traders for days without recourse to the police.
The trader also alleged that the root of the conflict may be linked to a land dispute. According to him, land allocated by the government to traders for market expansion was allegedly hijacked by Umeh and sold for personal gain. He said the current leadership of the association, alongside other traders, has been pursuing the recovery of the land through the courts, a move he claimed Umeh has resisted.
Traders have appealed to Governor Soludo to urgently intervene to forestall further violence and prevent a breakdown of law and order in the market. Several injured traders are currently receiving treatment in different hospitals across the state.
Efforts to reach Umeh for comments were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages as at the time of filing this report. The situation in the market remains tense amid fears of further unrest.
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