Apparently to discourage traders from resuming on Monday, February 2, as directed by Governor Charles Soludo, suspected hoodlums Sunday night reportedly placed a coffin in front of the “White House”, the administrative headquarters of the Onitsha Main Market.
Also, there is news making the rounds that the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chijioke Okpalaugo, has allegedly resigned his leadership of the market. Vanguard could not immediately confirm the reports.
However, some traders said that his resignation is not unconnected with Governor Soludo’s order that the market should be opened today, and he is not ready to risk his life opening the market.
Some traders also said that the coffin placed in front of his office, the “White House”, is a direct warning against him not to allow the market to open today, to avoid suffering the fate of Francis Enibe, Chairman of Mgbuka Amazu Market Obosi, who was kidnapped in his market on a Monday and has been missing for over two years now.
Bellnews gathered that even the security men who guard the “White House” could not explain when and how the coffin was brought to the place and who placed it there.
Bellnews gathered from a trader that the alleged resignation of the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market was the trending news on the traders’ WhatsApp group.
Some traders, who spoke this morning, said that they would not step out or go to the market. A trader also told Vanguard that he has told his four apprentices who leave his house for the market daily as early as 6:30am, not to step out, because he does not want to answer any questions from their parents.
There was no vehicular and human movement as usually seen in recent times in Onitsha before the shutdown of the market by Governor Soludo. A trader, Okechukwu Okafor, told Vanguard that traders want the governor to come to Onitsha to address them to open the market, as he was said to have done last Monday when he ordered that the market be shut down.
“It is not just staying in Awka and surrounded by the army, police and DSS and giving orders that the Onitsha Main Market should be reopened. We want Governor Soludo to come to Onitsha like he did last week when he ordered the market to be shut down. He should also come and do the normal opening ceremony so that the traders in the market will start trading,” Okafor said.