From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Traders and Technicians at Iweka Street, Onitsha, the poll Association of Radio and Television Technicians of Anambra State (ATANS), have called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to prevail on his aides to stop further harassment, intimidation, unlawful arrest and detention of their members.
Chairman of ATANS, Sabastine Ebilite, who addressed newsmen in Onitsha yesterday, lamented that apart from forceful ejection and sealing of their shops by the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra squad (OCHA Brigade) about 15 of their members have been summarily arrested, labelled with all manner of criminal charges and dumped in police cell at the Special Tactical Squad,Awkuzu, on the orders of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Markets in disobedience of the orders of Court of competent jurisdiction.
He lamented that an injunction obtained by the traders from a Vacation Judge sitting in Awka, the state capital, which directed that status quo ante bellum should be maintained until the determination of their matter pending in the Court was flagrantly disobeyed.
Giving details of their ordeal so far, Ebilite said that on Friday August 24, 2924, a contingent of armed security operatives made up police, Civil Defence, masked Vigilant men, armed bearing Ocha Brigade personnel invaded them, shooting indiscriminately.
He said that in the process, 15 of their members including a nursing mother were arrested after sealing their market for the second time.
He disclosed that their offence was their refusal to relocate to a private market at Harbour, Ogbaru, with his association made it clear from inception that they were not part of the building process of the market.
He said that the State House of Assembly through the Committee in Market, intervened in the matter and asked them to return back, unseal their shops for business,but the people refused to abide by their intervention.
He appealed to the Governor to direct his aides to stop further harassment, saying that if not for anything to obey the judgment of Court which asked them to stay at their usual place of business until the Court determines.
Ebilite said they have always supported the Governor including in the payment of taxes and levies, promising that they would not relent in that support.
Managing Director of OCHA Brigade, Celestine Anere told our correspondent that the brigade was only enforcing the directives of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Parks and markets and that he was not aware of any court order.