Traders operating at Ugwuoba Cattle Market, KM 54/55 Enugu-Onitsha Express Way, Ugwuoba, Oji-River LGA, Enugu State are lamenting losses, following the demolition of the business environment by the Enugu State Government.
The demolition of the market, took place on Saturday February 10, after two weeks notice was handed down to the operators in addition to series of complaints of crim8nality and prostitution coming from the market.
Traders of the Ugwuoba Cattle Market and natives of the locality were said to have cried out to the state government over the activities of kidnappers, armed robbers, other criminals and illicit drug dealers in the market and environs.
There have been reports of killings and fatal attack of people by hoodlums who have turned the market to their hideouts.
Similar acts of criminality was taking place at Lokpanta Cattle Market in Abia state forcing the state government to demolish the market and the recovery of several human parts, money running into hundreds of millions of Naira said to proceeds of kidnapping and armed robberies and assorted charms, arms and ammunition.
There are equally serious complaints about activities of criminal elements at the New Artisan Market along the Enugu Port Harcourt expressway in Enugu.
The Ugwuoba traders and natives had complained bitterly while speaking with newsmen at the weekend, over claims that the market had turned to a hibernating ground for criminals, who operate in Enugu and Anambra states.
Chairman of the Cattle Market, Abubakar Sadiq, identified illicit drugs and prostitution as major issues in the area.
“Actually, in the last two months, we have had issues of people fighting and stabbing each other to death under the influence of drugs.
“Most of these people are taking ‘Mkpuru-mmuri’. After taking that substance, they ended up fighting. Unfortunately one of them died.
“On 20th November, last year, Umar Garba Yakubu, under the influence of drugs, stabbed Safiu Mohammed from Taraba State to death.
“Safiu’s people wanted to retaliate, but with the intervention of the executives and the police, we arrested the situation and Umar was arrested and handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police. He is in jail now.
“Another one happened on 4th December, 2023, when one Yusuf Adamu from Gombe State was stabbed by a person that I don’t know his name.
“But with the help of security, we arrested him and handed him over to the security operatives. That one was also under the influence of drugs too.
“The major problem causing insecurity here is drugs. They transact in and take drugs here. So that is the cause of insecurity in this place.
“Aside from that, we have some areas that accommodate criminals.
“This is at the extension of the market. The market is too large. There are places where they sell alcohol and prostitutes are there too. These attract criminals.
“I could remember the last time there were people who kidnapped someone in Anambra State, but they came and hid here.
“Those places are under Gariki, but we (the executive) don’t have control over them because the land was given to them by the indigenes.
“Each time we complain to them, they tell us that it is their land and that we cannot tell them what to do with their land. But in the eye of the government, everywhere here is Gariki,” they complained.
Vice-Chairman of the Ugwuoba Cattle Market and an indigene of the town, Shedrach Ezeani, also collaborated on the issues raised by Sadiq.
“I represent the Amachala family, owners of this place, in the Gariki executives. We are here working together with the executives and the market authorities.
“The issues we have in terms of security is that there are too many hoodlums around this Gariki.
“Our chairman tried many times, through the local government, to at least reduce them. But people from outside Ugwuoba come in and reside by the side of this market. That is the problem we are facing here.
“From 2004 we used to collect rent around Gariki suburb, not the main Gariki. We didn’t have problems then.
“But some years later, some boys said they don’t want family owners of the land to collect the rent and they said let every individual manage his own portion of land.
“So, many people started giving portions of land to unknown persons. From then, hoodlums gathered around there.
“Government should come in because the Gariki Market does not have the capacity to do this.
“If you ask anybody, he will tell you that this is my father’s portion of the land. Those shanties and unregulated lodges are not doing good for this place”.
“people hide there in the name of Gariki and do all sorts of things.
“They invite lodgers from unknown destinations. Criminals will join them to lodge. That is the problem we are having. The government has to take action and control them,”
The Commissioner for Information in the state, Aka Eze Aka, could not be reached for comment, but an official of Oji River LGA, who would not want to be named, confirmed nefarious activities as the readon for the action on the market.
“That place has become a dungeon. A no-man’s land where lawlessness reigns. People there commit all forms of atrocities and the police have compromised a lot to firm up the crimes going on there.
“I only wish the demolition will be total and comprehensive such that before it could be reopened, it must be organised like every other market with lock-up shops and not a residential one.
“It is only among those fiminals there that you see a market that operates 24 hours in the dark and does more business, though illicit, at night and we call that legitimate business?”
