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By Madu Obi
Traders at the popular Onitsha Timber Market have asked an Anambra State High Court to restrain the chairman of Onitsha South local government area, Mr Emeka Orji, from demolishing structures in the market.
In a motion on notice filed on their behalf by their lawyer, Clifford Okoye, they asked for the order of the court to restrain the defendants, their privies, agents, workmen, cohorts and thugs and any other person(s), from acting or taking instructions from the defendants.
They also asked the defendants to desist from threats of demolition of any commercial shop of the traders within the Bridgehead Market, Onitsha in Onitsha South local government area, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit
The defendants listed in the motion on notice include the local government area, its chairman, Mr. Emeka Orji and the Attorney General of Anambra State.
The traders had dragged the local government chairman to court for demolishing their plaza built with amount running into several millions of naira sometime in 2023, but the local government and the chairman ignored them, in spite of the pre-action notice and notice of hearing the matter which were duly served them.
They alleged that on March 14, 2024, the local government chairman, at about 3pm, sent some men to mark some shops for demolition after seven days of the notice.
The traders said they had to approach the court to rescue them, adding that given the way the defendants carry out their action, they are poised to destroy more shops, unless they are restrained by the court.
The traders' counsel said that the defendants have failed to file any paper in defence of the suit, alleging that the defendants a poised to take laws into their hands.
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