By CHUKS EKE
Palpable tension mounted yesterday among the traders at Ogbaru main market when a trader in the market allegedly collapsed and went into a state of coma as a result of shock when he saw a combined team of police men and Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA task force forcefully chasing elected executive members of the market out of office.
The trader whose identity was yet to be ascertained as at press time, was said to have fallen down and became unconscious as a result of shock when he saw the drama going on between the market leaders and the combined team of policemen and the task force officials.
According to eyewitnesses, a combined team of policemen from Onitsha Area Command believed to have been sent by the Commissioner of police and task force officials from ASMATA went into the market to install a caretaker committee set up by the state government recently to manage the affairs of the market, pending when an election would be conducted.
He was said to have been ferried to an undisclosed hospital with an ambulance for urgent medical attention.
The state government had in May, this year announced the dissolution of Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu-led execute who were elected by the traders in January, this year towards the end of former Governor Willie Obiano administration to pilot the affairs of the market for the next four years.
But barely five months into their administration, the incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration which came into power in March, announced the dissolution of 32 markets executive in the state, including the Ochiogu-led executive members of Ogbaru main (Relief) market, Onitsha and constituted caretaker committees in their place.
The dissolution order did not go down well with the Ochiogu executive as he quickly approached a state High court asking it to restrain the state government from replacing them with the newly inaugurated caretaker committee, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.
The court presided over by Justice Alexious Okuma granted an interim injunction restraining the state government, including the Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Dr. Christian Ngonadi from using the police and DSS to harass or forcefully removing Ochiogu executive from office till the determination of the suit.
But yesterday, the combined team of policemen and ASMATA task force stormed the market office and forcefully chased away the executive and installed David Obidike-caretaker committee, in defiance of the court order.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, told newsmen on phone that the policemen just assisted the state government in maintaining law and order into the market.
ASMATA president, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu also told newsmen on phone that he was not aware of any court order, just as Monday Nwokoye, ASMATA task force leader and SSA to Governor Soludo on Security, also told newsmen on phone that he did not go up stairs with the task force members to remove Ochiogu and install David Obidike.
Chairman of Annot eambra North vigilante group,. Chief Chinenye Ihenko (a.k.a Okpompi), told newsmen that his security personnel were still intact in the market at the moment and did encounter any problem during the fracas.
