Traders and leaders of various markets in Anambra State, particularly the commercial city of Onitsha, have expressed concerns that despite the various directives by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, that major markets should be opening on Mondays, to counter the sit-at-home order, the directives have continuously being flouted.
Findings showed that major markets in Anambra State, such as Main Market, Ochanja Market, Bridgehead Market, Ogbo-Osisi, Ogbo-Ogwu, Ose-Okwodu, Mgbuka-Amazu and Tomato markets, among others in Onitsha and other markets in Nnewi and some parts of Awka, have remained non-functional every Monday in compliance with the Monday sit-at-home order by the Indigeneous People of Biafra and the Eastern Security Network.
IPOB had declared Mondays as sit-at-home across the South-East region in 2021 to protest the rendition from Kenya and continuous incarceration of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The directive has led to markets, motor parks, schools, offices, banks, courts and other public places remaining shut every Monday, while major roads are also deserted. Most public functions don’t also hold on this day.
Although, the pro-Biafran group had long declared the suspension of the directive, but the people, especially traders have continued to observe it for fear of being attacked by hoodlums, who initially descended on anyone, who failed to comply with the directive.
Those who failed to comply with the Monday sit-at-home either had their business premises burnt or the owners kidnapped or killed and till date, the whereabouts of most victims kidnapped have remained unknown.
Among the kidnapped victims is the Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu Market in Onitsha, Chief Enibe Francis, who was abducted in 2023 over circumstances said to be related to Monday’s sit-at-home.
Francis was abducted at the market by some yet-to-be-identified assailants. The incident happened on a Monday sit-at-home shortly after the chairman had opened the market as directed by the market associations in the state.
This was sequel to the state governor’s directive to market leaders in the state to open their markets on Mondays by observing prayer sessions and cleaning the markets and drainages.
Findings also showed that the kidnapped market leader, was abducted by gunmen shortly after observing the morning prayers and sanitation exercise, with some other members of the market. Before whisking him away, the armed hoodlums were said to have beaten him to a stupor, after which they bundled him into a waiting vehicle and drove to an unknown destination since 2023 and his whereabouts have remained unknown.
The Mgbuka Amazu Market is an old motor spare parts market, situated along the Onitsha-Owerri Road.
The President of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, Chief Humphrey Anuna, who confirmed the abduction of the market leader to journalists, had said the market executives in the state were making frantic efforts to establish contact with him.
Anna said, “He was said to have been whisked away when about five fully armed men stormed his shop while shooting indiscriminately into the air, beat him to stupor and dumped him into the boot of their waiting SUV vehicle and zoomed off.”
But till date, the man’s whereabouts remained unknown, a situation that has continued to create panic among other market leaders, who now open their markets gates cautiously without staying in the market.
Our correspondent, who visited various markets in the state on Monday, observed that these markets were opened, but there was no activity going on, just as it was also gathered that market leaders threw the gates opened in order to comply with the governor’s directive.
The leaders of various markets in the state, particularly within the commercial city of Onitsha, who spoke to our news, said they devised some measures to escape Governor Soludo’s hammer against those who close their markets on Mondays in respect of the sit-at-home.
Soludo had consistently warned market leaders in the state to stop closing their markets on Mondays to observe a sit-at-home, adding that the era of sit-at-home was over because government could no longer fold its arms and allow the citizens lose billions of naira on weekly basis just to observe a “meaningless and senseless” sit-at-home.
In some of the meetings with market leaders, Soludo had threatened to remove any market leader in the state who closed his market any Monday to observe the exercise, which he also described as illegal.
It was gathered that despite complaints by the market leaders that some of their colleagues who opened their markets in the past were abducted by unknown gunmen, including the Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu Old Motor Spare Parts market located along the Onitsha/Owerri road at Onitsha, who is yet to return as at the time of filing this report, Soludo was said to have insisted that markets must be opened on Mondays to avoid more colossal loses.
In what appeared to be weighing the options of being removed from office the state government and losing their lives in the hands of the unknown gunmen, the market leaders resorted to opening the market gates and leaving them wide open from morning till 5pm on Mondays, which is the normal business hours.
The visit to some markets on Monday showed that the gates in such markets like New Auto Spare Parts Market, Nkpor, Ogbaru Main Market in Onitsha and Nkpor Main Market were thrown wide open, but there was no single person around to buy or sell anything in these markets.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Ogbaru Main Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, said, “Apart from opening the market gates, I usually stay at the market office till the end of market hours on Mondays.
“Although, it is highly regrettable that the abducted Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu is yet to return and nothing has been done by the appropriate authorities concerned to find out his whereabouts till date.”
Another market leader, simply identified as Kene, said, “We were opening the markets to observe the Monday morning prayers and sanitation exercise as directed by the governor before the unfortunate kidnap of one of our colleagues.
“It is also regrettable that the man has not been found since the incident in 2023 and nobody knows if he is still alive or not. The kidnap fuelled the continuous sit-at-home as people became afraid of being kidnapped. That is why you see the gates of the market opened, but no activity is going on because of fear.”
Some of the residents who reacted also wondered how the hoodlums had whisked the market leader away without any resistance and up till now, the authorities concerned have not reacted.
Punch
