Tragedy was averted at the Ariaria International market, Aba, Abia State when two traders escaped death as they were beaten into coma by security agents over alleged failure to pay infrastuctural levy.
247ureports.com gathered that the chairman of the shoes and bags parts section of the market popularly known as Ochendo Shoe and Bag Parts Industrial Market Association (OSABPIMA), identified as Nwosu, had ordered the locking up of some shops at zone 7 of the market over alleged failure of their owners to pay N2, 500 infrastructural levy.
Piqued by the chairman’s action, some traders who believed that it was wrong for the former to have taken such action broke the padlocks to allow the affected traders access to their shops.
A trader at the Line who spoke on the condition of anonymity told our correspondent that Nwosu on learning that the shops he ordered locked had been opened invited some soldiers and police men who stormed the market, arrested two of the traders, took them to the OSABIPIMA secretariat located along SAMEC road and beat them up.
Passersby who witnessed the incident later rushed the two traders to the hospital where they were said to be receiving medical attention.
Hell broke loose when news filtered into the market that the security agents have killed a trader in the market, traders from zone 7 of the market trooped to the secretariat of OSABPIMA and beat up the chairman and left him in a pool of his own blood.
When our correspondent visited the Ariaria International Market, the secretariat of OSABPIMA still under lock and key including all the shops in zone 7.
