Reaction As Soludo Demolishes Onitsha Main Market Despite Court Order

Shop owners at Onitsha Main Market were thrown into confusion on Sunday after the Anambra State government began demolishing parts of the market, despite a court order restraining any such action.

It was gathered that heavy security was deployed overnight.

Soldiers, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and private security guards blocked roads leading to the market from around midnight on Saturday, clearing the way for bulldozers to move in.

By Sunday afternoon, several shops along Johnson Street and parts of the Gwongworo building had already been knocked down.

Many traders said they were caught off guard and struggled to rescue their goods.

Okeke Akasim, a trader, said, “I rushed to evacuate my wares at 2 a.m. when I heard the demolition had started. A security man demanded I ‘settle’ him before passing, and I gave him N500. When I reached my shop, it was already destroyed with my goods inside. I collapsed on seeing it.”

Another shop owner, who did not want her name mentioned, claimed that a vigilante operative removed and sold the iron materials from her shop despite her protests.

She said traders were told they had been given 14 days’ notice to clear out, but many insisted that the process is being rushed.

Some scavengers were seen collecting and buying scrap materials from the demolished structures at low prices, turning the situation into a quick source of income.

As of the time of filing this report, security officers were still preventing traders from entering the market, which remained shut.

Market leaders and traders have condemned the demolition, arguing that it goes against a standing court order and has left many people stranded without access to their shops or means of livelihood.

See some reactions below:

This comes weeks after Governor, Charles Soludo ordered the shutdown of the Onitsha main market for one week after traders continued to observe the Monday sit-at-home.