Aluminum dealers and traders at Oguta Road, Onitsha, Anambra State on Tuesday protested arrest of their Caretaker Committee chairman, Mr. Tochukwu Aneke.
The chairman was reportedly arrested Monday morning by the Police from the Central Police Station (CPS), Onitsha as the market were almost ready for inauguration of the new Board of Trustees (BoT) of the market.
The protesters, predominantly youths, matched from Oguta through Enugu road to CPS where they were addressed by Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ifeanyi Iburu, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
The placard- carrying protesters with various inscriptions, chanted songs with threats that the market would remain shut if their chairman was not released.
Addressing reporters, Secretary of the market, Ifeanyi Okeke alleged that former chairman of the market and some removed BoT members were behind the protest.
He said there have been longstanding trouble between the old and new executives following failure of former chairman, Ikechukwu Ndibe to render transparent account of the shops they built at Ogbunike as well as his 8-year old stewardship.
He said former chairman and his executives who allegedly have about ten shops each were forcing some members who have not got one shop to move into the new market.
He confirmed that Court had nullified the two executives at the instance of the former chairman but they had since filed appeal against the judgement.
The DPO while addressing the protesters, assured them that the matter would not only be resolved but that justice would be done.
