Sit-At-Home: Two Traders Killed As Protest Rocks Enugu Market Over Sealing Of 107 Shops [Video]

Tensions escalated in Enugu State on Wednesday as two traders were reportedly killed during a protest over the closure of Ogbete Main Market by Governor Peter Mbah.

On Monday, Governor Frank Mbah had declared war on residents and private businesses in Enugu that refused to open on Mondays, in defiance of the sit-at-home order issued by Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian separatist living in Finland.

The Enugu State Government sealed several shops, malls, and banks on Monday, which he accused of observing the “illegal sit-at-home”.

Governor Mbah in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, said the sealed businesses would be closed for one week.

Onyia announced that 78 shops at Ogbete Main Market and two unnamed commercial banks were sealed, adding that five shops at SPAR and 24 shops at the Old Artisan Market were also closed by the state government.

“So, if you failed to obey our rules and directives (of opening on Mondays), we can revoke them or withdraw your approvals and give them to people eager to do business in the state.

“Those whose shops are sealed, we will tell them the penalty, but the governor was magnanimous by saying that the exercise was not punitive,” he said.

He also imposed that owners of businesses sealed must provide their current tax clearance certificates and all other relevant revenue documents at the end of one week to enable the state government to review and consider their formal letters for re-opening otherwise they would be auctioned off or permanently forfeited to the state government.

Problems began on Wednesday morning when the traders whose shops were sealed demanded from the market leadership that their businesses must be reopened.

It was gathered that the aggrieved Ogbete traders were protesting peacefully in the market environment over the illegal sealing of their shops by the state government before police intercepted them and started shooting in the air.

A trader in the market, Gerald Uzu told SaharaReporters that Governor Mbah deployed soldiers and hundreds of policemen to the market, which resulted in shooting and tragically killing of two traders during the incident.

“Shortly, soldiers and hundreds of policemen were deployed to the market by the governor. They came in and started shooting and locking up shops. The soldiers shot two traders dead inside the market. I escaped unhurt by only the Grace of God,” he said.

A police officer at the scene confirmed that Ogbete Main Market has been completely shut down indefinitely, and the situation is regrettable.

The officer expressed concern that the governor’s handling of the sit-at-home situation may have exacerbated tensions.

“I am in the market with my DPO, soldiers and so many other security agents. Ogbete Main Market has been totally shut down. There is no single soul in the market as I speak to you. I don’t think Ogbete Main Market will be opened again.

“Information reaching me now is that two traders have been shot dead by soldiers in front of the market. It is regrettable but I think the governor is not handling the sit-at-home situation well,” the policeman said.

Watch the video below:

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate had condemned the sit-at-home and asked the Federal Government to collaborate with the Finnish Government and extradite Simon Ekpa for prosecution.