Some yet-to-be-identified assailants have allegedly abducted the Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu Market, Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Enibe Francis, over circumstances said to be related to Monday sit-at-home in the area.
Sources in the market on Tuesday confirmed to our correspondent that the incident happened on Monday shortly after the chairman had opened the market as directed by the market associations in the state.
It was gathered that the armed hoodlums beat him to a stupor after which they bundled him into a waiting vehicle and drove to an unknown destination.
The state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, had directed market leaders in the state to open their markets on Mondays by observing prayer sessions and cleaning of the markets and drainages.
And in the past few weeks, market executives in the state, led by the President of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, Chief Humphrey Anuna, have been moving round markets across the state every Monday to monitor and ensure that traders comply with the directive of opening the markets every Monday.
This directive, it was gathered, was targeted at countering the Monday sit-at-home in the state.
After the monitoring about three weeks ago, Anuna announced the sealing of no fewer than seven markets for allegedly failing to comply with the directive.
Confirming the abduction of the market leader to journalists, Anuna said he had been briefed and the market executives were making frantic efforts to establish contact with him.
When contacted, the state police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development, adding that the situation was being monitored.”
The Mgbuka Amazu Market is an old motor spare parts market situated along the deplorable Onitsha-Owerri Road, where vehicles are stuck for several hours in flood covered ditches.
