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By Madu Obi
There was pandemonium at Niger Street in the commercial city of Onitsha, following a clash between operatives of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State, OCHA Brigade and some roadside traders.
The affected traders were using umbrellas to cover themselves after their shops were demolished by the Anambra State government.
The men of OCHA brigade had, despite an Interim Injunction restraining the Anambra State government, the Attorney General of the state, Emeka Orji (Chairman Caretaker Committee Onitsha South local government area and Inspector General of Police,
invaded the Ndende land located along Niger Street Onitsha South Council Area, where the state government, through the Onitsha South council area authority, had demolished over 863 shops and 27 sand pits belonging to a private company, Lake Petroleum Limited, and his tenants.
Also destroyed were the goods, including food, drinks and other articles of trade and umbrellas of the traders which resulted in a clash between them and the OCHA Brigade operatives.
But for the timely intervention of the Police men from Fegge Police Station Onitsha, the clash would have been bloody as the traders involved were said to be still nursing their wounds over the destruction of their shops and goods during the demolition by Onitsha South local government authorities.
One of the angry traders, Mr Nzube Okoye, said that they have been managing to feed and take care of their families, while waiting for the determination of the suit by their landlord, Lake Petroleum Limited against Anambra State government over their attempted forceful ejection from the land by the state government through the Onitsha South Local Government authority.
“We are not occupying here illegally. Wue are permitted by the order of the court, which is an Order of Interim Injunction secured by our landlord Lake Petroleum Limited, against the Anambra State Government, the Attorney General of Anambra State, Emeka Orji, who is the Chairman Caretaker Committee Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State and the Inspector General of Police.
Our landlords is in possession of the Certificate of Occupancy of the land and had secured an Interim Injunction which must be respected, against the Anambra State government over our stay here. We expect the State Government and its agents like OCHA Brigade to respect the court order, but they won’t, everything they have been doing here since the interim order was secured has all been in breach of the court order.
The state government should call the men of OCHA Brigade to order. They are embarrassing the government and disobeying a valid Order of the Federal High Court Awka in the Suit No: FHC /AWK/ CS/75/2024. .
We have the Interim Injunction restraining government and its agents from disturbing us here," said Okoye.
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