By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe
Traders at the Naze Cluster Market in Owerri North LGA of Imo State have appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma and other Nigerians to come to their rescue over what they described as threats to their lives and businesses by the market’s chairman, Mr. Uchenna Anaege and the Nigerian Police Force, Imo State Command.
Speaking with journalists in Owerri over the weekend, the traders accused Mr. Anaege (aka Oil Money) who they alleged is not a trader in the market of conniving with various police units in the state, including Anti- narcotics, Anti-Vice, Anti-kidnaping, Scorpion, D3 and Shell Camp, Agabala and Ihiagwa Divisions to intimidate, harass, terrorize, brutalize and exploit them on regular basis, causing violations to their livelihoods and safety.
According to them, Mr. Anaege’s alleged high-handedness, cruelty, impunity and extortions in the market had been made worse with the active support from the police which he uses at will, leading to the arbitrary arrests, suppression and denial of access to shops against members perceived of opposing his autocratic and anti-traders leadership in the market.
This was as human rights organisations, Sisters With A Goal Initiative and ÓNÚRÚBÉ Coalition Against Gender Based Violence corroborated the claims of human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests and violence against persons in the market by the leadership and the police, while expressing dissatisfaction over the matter.
Narrating their ordeals, a trader, Engr. Iyke Ezenwa, who coordinates a welfare group in the market, said that Mr. Anaege has plunged the market into crises with his actions, including by singlehandedly producing an obnoxious and self- serving Constitution for the market, as well as the unlawful sacking of duly elected officials of the market.
He added that the failure of the supervising LGA, Owerri North and others to address the anomaly despite notifications, led to the call on Governor Uzodimma and others to intervene. He decried the alleged horrible actions of policemen from the SID on Saturday, June 28 in the market where they shot sporadically, arrested and injured traders, including a woman.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the market, Mr. Onuoha Hycenth (Special), Assistant Secretary, Mr. Duru ThankGod and the Treasurer, Mr. Onyekachi Nwuwa, explained that the illegal termination of their offices by Mr. Anaege followed their efforts in securing the bail of a trader in the market, Mr. Chibuike Felix Onuegbu, his wife, Chidimma and apprentice who were wickedly arrested Mr. Anege without justifications.
They appealed to Governor Uzodimma to save them from Mr. Anege and the police who have declared them wanted for no good reason. They also urged the governor to take actions to recover the market as a public asset from Mr. Uchenna Anaege and his cronies who they accused of personalizing it by using outsiders who claim ownership to displace the traders.
On his own, Mr. Chibuike Felix Onuegbu, disclosed that he has been arrested seven times by the police on Mr. Anaege’s instructions, adding that the last witnessed policemen inflicting injuries (sighted by this reporter) on his wife, Chidimma, who tried to inquire on his offence and the identities of the officers. He called for an urgent actions before the worst happens.
Meanwhile, the Executive Coordinator, Sisters With A Goal Initiative Mrs. Marjorie Ezihe, said that inquiries and documented testimonies confirmed human rights abuses and rascality perpetrated by the leadership and the police in the market. According to her, efforts to address the problem through advocacy conversations failed because of Mr. Anaege’s unavailability and attempt to compromise the process.
She regretted that the ugly situation had festered, despite eight different units of the Imo State Command, interfering with intimidations, violence and arbitrary arrests of traders, as she questioned the inactions from authorities, including the Owerri North LGA.
“In the time it has taken to document, we have come across severe, serious and heinous human rights abuses exerbated regularly by the continous harassments with the police, exploitations among others. We’ve discovered horrific situations like violence against all genders, arrests of minors, and ordeals undergone by families in the market,” Ezihe noted, while calling for urgent intervention.
Meanwhile, efforts made to get reactions from Mr. Uchenna Anaege and police authorities have proved abortive at the time of filling this report.
