The Enugu State Government has reacted to Wednesday’s protest by traders of the popular Ogbete Main Market, saying they “defied the instruction on how the shops should be re-opened and resorted to self-help by removing the seals”.
The state government’s reaction to the protest which halted commercial activities in the capital city was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia.
Magic FM reported that at least two were reportedly killed as traders protested the sealing off of their shops by the state government for observing the illegal Monday sit-at-home order by a faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
According to the government, the ensuing confrontation resulted in a protest, which they said was infiltrated and hijacked by “dangerously armed hoodlums and miscreants, who broke shops and looted traders’ wares.”
It added that attempts by security operatives to restore order and prevent further looting were violently resisted by “the imported and armed hoodlums.”
A video grab showing an officer of the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) sealing a shop on Monday, July 24, 2023 in line with the government’s clampdown on the IPOB sit-at-home order in Enugu State.
The state government also said that it is receiving further briefings on the development, adding that investigation to unravel the circumstance surrounding the incident, including the reports of casualty, is already ongoing.
It called on the people and residents of Enugu to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses, as adequate security measures were in place to secure lives and property in the state.
The state government had earlier warned that it would seal off shops of those who refuse to open business on Monday in the name of sit-at-home.
In protest, traders whose business premises were sealed trooped out on Wednesday to express their displeasure over the development.
It resulted in a clash with the police who came out to disperse them from the streets.
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