Traders at the demolished Eke Ukwu Owerri market at the weekend rued over State Government’s continued clampdown on them. The Imo State Government had demolished the Eke Ukwu Owerri Market in September 2018 and directed all traders to proceed at a modern market at Egbeada in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.
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The demolition of Eke Ukwu Owerri attracted widespread condemnation which incidentally led to the death of Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, a 10 year old boy felled by bullets from security forces.
Despite the demolition of the market and ongoing construction works carried out at the site for yet to be disclosed purposes, some traders at Douglas road close to the market lamented that they are been chased away by agents of the State Government.
Street traders have not been spared either as Governor Rochas Okorocha had ordered that all street traders at the old Eke Ukwu Owerri demolition to leave the area. This newspaper learnt that there was tension at the Market at the weekend as State Government agents came to enforce the directive.
“ This people have been warned several times to leave the area. Yet they will not comply” said a member of a Special Task Force that came to enforce the order.
The Imo State Government demolished the Eke Ukwu Owerri market in line with its Urban Renewal Programme.
Some of the traders affected who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that they were forcefully told to leave the area.