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By Chuks Eke
The leadership of Onitsha Building Materials Market Traders Association has debunked allegations of serial raiding of shops and confiscation of goods worth N50 million levelled against the personnel of the Onitsha Area Command of Anambra state police command.
Chairman of Ozomagana Building Materials Market Traders Association, Mr. Obiora Okoro, and the secretary, Mr. Patrick Obiekwe who reacted to newsmen weekend in separate speeches, said they were shocked to read recent reports in some media and online news platforms, including some national dailies that some policemen attached to the Onitsha Police Area Command have been raiding shops in their market, to the extent that on August 9, 2026, the policemen confiscated goods worth over N50m in a shop marked No. 52 in the market.
Besides describing the news reports as untrue and deliberate acts to severe the existing cordial relationship between the police and the traders, the two market leaders stated that they were not aware of any such an allegation coming from the market, neither were they aware of any member of the association who goes by the name Nnanunyelugo Elias that posed as a spokesperson to the traders.
The traders had alleged that some police officers attached to the Area Command in Onitsha have been breaking into their shops at nights and allegedly carting away goods without presenting search warrants, court orders or other official documents authorising the operations, adding that the alleged raids were usually carried out around 10 pm, when most shop owners and their workers had left the market.
In his own reaction to the allegation, the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Temitope Fasugba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP who described the publication as an embarassment to the entire personnel of the command, told newsmen in his office that after conducting an identification parade, he discovered that none of the names mentioned as the policemen that carried out the duty is serving in his command or any where within the Onitsha metropolis.
Insisting that the story was deliberately fabricated by some sponsored elements to undermine his area of jurisdiction, Fasugba urged those he identified as content creators to verify their facts properly before dishing out such false alarms in the interest of peace and tranquility, adding that the issue of harassment and extortion by the personnel under his watch have been put to a stop since he assumed office as Onitsha Area Commander barely three months ago.
He however warned his men in the metropolis to eschew any act of insubordination while carrying out their lawful duties as according to him, by so doing, the general public would even testify in their favour as exemplified in this particular kind of spurious allegation that they are only dedicated to their duties of crime prevention and protection of lives and property of the entire citizenry.
