LAGOS MAY 7TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Mayhem in the early hours of Wednesday erupted at the demolished makeshifts of Abraka- Asaba market when suspected hoodlums under the guise of taskforce members with Asaba Development Capital Terrority allegedly unleashed their terrors on the sacked traders who have refused to relocate in gun battle
Though no life lost, It was gathered that the hoodlums were allegedly armed when they stormed the market premises to their surprised to see crowd of traders, many of whom were Hausa traders,a situation they allegedly engaged them in verbal cross fire thus leading to provocation where they allegedly rented the air in shootings
Delta state Police Commissioner, Hafiz Muhammed Inuwah who Confirmed this to Journalists, said that the Police including other security agents timely intervention saved the situation that would have been bloodbath, disclosing that over thirty Suspected hoodlums were arrested for interrogation
Sources said that the return of the sacked traders few months ago by Mrakpor led Asaba Development Capital Terrority taskforce to Abraka Asaba market, was informed by the partial lockdown by the state Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in the wake of Coronavirus Pandemic currently ravaging the world after twenty eight days total lockdown order in the state.
But eyewitness Umukoro James said that the traders, particularly the Hausa traders have allegedly been at war with the officials of the taskforce who claimed to have relocated them to Oko Community in Asaba where they were expected to have commence sale of their goods including food items.
The new relocation center for the traders, investigation revealed, was rejected by traders following the deplorable state of the environment, particularly as swamp and during rainfall and rainy season it environment might be worse hit for businesses as flood menace which is a recurring decimal of the environment would sweep away their goods and food items into River Niger sharing common boundary with Oko Community
Hasua trader who claimed to be Adamu sulaman but spoke to Journalists in the area said” we were shocked this morning when some persons came into the Premises of Asaba Abraka market while we were hanging around to see how we could eke out living because of the Coronavirus Pandemic ravaging the world, suddenly they started shooting into the air, claiming they were taskforce of Mrakpor destroying makeshifts in Asaba, they said we should move into Oko Community where they claimed to have allocated and relocated us to, but the environment is completely water, water, how can we do business in such a place? we will not go there the environment is terrible and full of water, water”
Further investigation revealed that since the introduction of the compulsory face mask, many of the Hausa traders have called it a bluff and do not bother about it uses amdist threats to Isolate violators by the state government, an observation made by the suspected hoodlums when they allegedly stormed the area and started shooting into the air to eject the traders from the premises.
The mayhem was followed by a long traffic holdups starting from Okwe Junction to the market, however witnessed the presence of a large number of Policemen, Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Immigration Officers, and Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) armed at the large expans of Asaba Abraka market premises to maintain law and order and ensure a free flow of vehicular movements towards the Asaba Onitsha headbridge and other adjourning streets along the expressway
There was palpable tension and fear of the unknown as onlookers were seen running helter skelter along the ever busy Asaba Onitsha expressway while the check by taskforce members for the compulsory use of facemasks in the state lasted.
Opera News