5 injured as masked men fight for control of Anambra motor park

By Madu Obi

Five persons were injured during a pandemonium in Nkpor, Idemili North local government area, a suburb of the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, as armed masked hoodlums fought over ownership of motor parks in the area.

The injury was caused by stampede following sporadic shootings, forcing traders and passersby in the new spare parts market to shut their shops and run for their lives.

Chairman of Amafor Nkpor community, Mr. Emmanuel Idemili said the armed men stormed the scene where his men were working and started shooting and chasing people away.

Control of Nkpor spare parts market has been a problem since the traders relocated to the area over 20 years ago, with the two opposing groups claiming rightful ownership.

Idemili said his group has been in charge of the parks, claiming that they obtained the permission of the state government to generate revenue from the parks for the government.

He said: “I was at Awka on official assignment, when our men who were working at the parks called me to say that masked armed elements stormed the parks under the fly-over bridge and started shooting indiscriminately.

“They ordered my men to vacate the place immediately. I was told that over five people were injured during the stampede as a result of the heavy shooting of which I am yet to know if my members were involved.

“The shooting resulted in traders at Nkpor New Auto Spare Parks and Nkpor Relief Markets immediately shutting their shops and fleeing to safety."

The state Police command is yet to react on the issue as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not yet aware of the incident.