By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Thugs suspected to have acted on the orders of Calabar South Local Government Council authority have allegedly beaten the vice chairman of Calabar Watt Market Petty Traders’ Association, Mr. Chinedu Igwe, to pulp, for failing to co-operate with authority of the local government council on January 2, 2023, in Calabar.
Our correspondent gathered that Igwe was said to have been attacked by suspected thugs on January 2, 2023, at the Watt Market Shopping Center Complex, Calabar.
Eye witness account alleged that the suspected thugs were said to have been sent by the authority of the local government council to eject the market traders who refused to vacate the market shops on December 30, 2022, as agreed earlier between authority of the council and the market traders’ association.
An eye witness, who claimed to be Egwu, and also a member of the Watt Market Petty Traders’ Association said, “I’m shocked that many of our members had been attacked by Calabar South Local Government Council thugs despite the fact that the case had already been instituted in court waiting to be heard.”
Recall that sometimes last year, disagreement ensued between the market traders’ association of Calabar Watt Market operating within the Shopping Centre Complex over the collection of levy by the council thugs, leading to a fight between the market traders and suspected thugs said to be controlled by the authority of Calabar South Local Government Area.
While confirming the incident in a telephone conversation, the council chairman, Mrs. Esther Bassey, denied the allegation of extortion levelled against the authority of her council, stressing that the victim, Mr. Igwe, who is the vice chairman of Calabar Watt Market Petty Traders’ Association has been taken by the council authority for medical attention.
She said, “He was the one who started the trouble. Although, I felt sorry for him, to have been beaten up by the council agents. We heard he struck one of the boys with an iron rod.
“Of course, you know how young people behave. He was beaten on the basis of his unruly behavior, when the young man and his colleagues tried to fight back.
“He is one of those traders who renaged on agreement made with the market authority.
“We had aggreement that they are to vacate the stores on December 31, 2022.
“Unfortunately when the council authority visited the market premises and accosted Mr. Igwe on why he and other traders were yet to vacate their stores as signed in the earlier agreement, which we entered into, the traders’ association vice chairman got angry and hit one of the council agents with an iron rod, incidentally fight broke out.
“I have copies of agreement that we had between the traders’ association and the council that they will vacate the stores on or before 31, December 2022.”
