By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
There was Pandemonium at Ose Okwuodu Market, Onitsha, Anambra State as the Chairman of Ajasa Traders Association, Chief Chima Ohia, was allegedly beaten up by the Chairman of Ose Market, Ikechukwu Umeanozie and some thugs.
Narrating his ordeal, Chief Ohia said he would have been a dead person if not for the mercy of God, adding that if someone had predicted to him that what he passed through in the hands of Umeanozie and his boys in the presence of the Chairman of Onitsha North Local Government Area, Hon. Onichie Ozonma he would not believe the person.
He said “Ozonma called me when I was already going to a meeting at the ASMATA office and asked me to join him to decongest streets around Ose Market”.
Ozonma according to Ohia also said that he received call from the Chief of Staff to the Governor that Ajasa and street Markets were congested and we should embark on decongesting it
Ohia however explained that he turned back and started coming back to meet with the Local Government Chairman but before he arrived in the Market, the Local Government Chairman and his entourage were already waiting for him.
“We began to decongest the Market from Ajasa to Ajasa junction by Emejulu. Before we reached the end of Emejulu, one of Umeanozie’s thugs stopped me and asked me what I was doing and who I?
“I asked him don’t you know me? Didn’t you see the Local Government Chairman I am moving with? He immediately slapped me and I asked him why he should slap me. He said, if I talk again he would slap me again”
“I complained to the Local Government Chairman of what the thug did to me. The Chairman began to query them what was my offense and what prompted them to slap me? One of the thugs who was holding a gun in his hand cocked the gun.
“As I looked around, I saw the Ose Okwuodu Market Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Umeanozie. He commanded the thugs to beat me. He first punched me on my eyes and blood started gushing out.”
Ohia continued, “When I saw that one of them had already cocked his gun and several punches landed all over my body. Some were hitting me with stones and various weapons, I ran to one nearby shop and hid myself with blood all over me. I was at the hiding place when I heard the sound of a gun.
“When they were beatings me, they confiscated my N300,000 with two cellphones”
Chief Ohia further said that he could not explain what prompted Mr. Umeanozie to attack him in such a manner, disclosing that he has never quarreled with him or engaged him in any matter.
“People said that Umeanozie’s annoyance was why I should trespass in his area. But I did not go there on my own. I was decongesting roads with the local government Chairman. I was not there with any weapon or thugs that could warrant him to attack me with his thugs”
He equally alleged that the same thugs threatened to beat the local government Chairman who was amazed and eager to know exactly what he did that warranted them to beat me.
But his entourage, however, prevented them from carrying out their threat as the Chairman ordered for the arrest of one of them before they ran away.
The Ajasa Market Chairman stated that Umeanozie has taken more than required, pointing out that he has taken leadership of Ose Okwodu Market as his personal property or his father’s inheritance.
He called Prof. Soludo to intervene before Umeanozie kills someone at Ose Okwuodu.
When called to react to the allegations, Uneanozue denied ever beating Mr Ohia and embarrassing Onitsha North Local Government Chairman.
He said “I don’t know what you are saying. Did you ask him if I was there? Where was he when he was beaten?
But the Chairman of Onitsha North Local Government Area, Onochie Ozonma, who was accompanied by Ohia in the decongestion exercise confirmed the incident, saying that it was Umeanozie that punched Ohia in the face first followed by his security officer.
He said attempts he made to stop them even made them the Chairman and his boys to molest him.
Umeanozie queried why he as the Local Government Chairman should come to the Market, while they have been asked not to step into the Market but Ozonma said he responded that he was on the mandate of Awka to decongest the roads leading to Ose Market.
Both the Chairman of local government and Ajasa Chairman reported the matter to Central Police station (CPS) Onitsha and Area Command but Umeanozie refused to report to the Police.
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