By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
The Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka, the State capital, has restrained the Inspector-General of Police (IG), the Director of Directorate of State Services (DSS), Anambra State and the Permanent Secretary Anambra State Ministry of Commerce and Trade, Mr. Chinedu Ike, from taking any action in any subject matter of the suit pending the determination of substantive motion on notice.
In the suit, with No: O/MISC 272/2023 and Motion No: O/1340M/2023, the presiding Judge, Justice Ike Ogu, also directed one Nwadibia Jideofor, Commander, Electronics Market Onitsha, to stay action in connection with the subject matter of the suit until the determination of the substantive motion on notice.
The Court granted leave to the applicant, Ifechi Anozie, to serve the IG, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Mr.Ben Anyanwu, Nnaemeka Nwana and Izuchukwu Okoye through substitute means.
The IG and the IPO, the Court directed they should be served through the Police Legal Department of the Anambra State Police Command.
The Court also directed that Anyanwu, Nwana and Okoye should be served through Sir. Donatus Obi, the Chairman of three- man Administrators of Electronics Market Onitsha.
The Judge said after hearing motion exparte, dated September 12, 2023 filed by the same day with the affidavit in support deposed to by Anozie and after hearing Chief Ugwunnadi, counsel to the applicant issued the order on September 14, 2023.
The Permanent Secretary had in a letter to Anozie warned him and those he called his cohorts to refrain from destabilizing the peace and serenity of the Electronics Market Onitsha and plunging the Market into crisis, anarchy and pandemonium”.
Meanwhile, the application for an ex parte order by Anozie’s counsel to restrain the respondents from taking action against him.
The market for sometime has been embroiled in leadership crisis following attempts by the Anambra State Government to foist Caretaker leadership, which the traders have been resisting.
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