Reactions have trailed the recent killing of a petty trader
and loader , One Ejiofor Atah at the popular Eke Awka market,on Tuesday, In Awka, Anambra state Capital.
Eye withness account revealed that the incident occurred at
about nine in the morning, when the vigilante men were allegedly on rampage in
an attemt to collect loading and off-loading levies from the deceased in the
market.
However, the chariman of Eke-Awka Market, Chief Emeka
Agumadu had debunked the allegation that
sorrunded the crisis which was alleged
to have been an act to collect excess levies from traders,but attributed it to
a means of argument and mis-understanding that ensued between shop owner,
a loader who later alerted men of the
vigilant group to intervain and maintain peace in the face of the brewing crisis
.
It was gathered that the vigilate men tride to scare the traders
from fighting and the gun that was
wrongly placed mis-fired and killed the loader
before he was rushed to an hospital.
His Word’’I was surprsid to hear that the vigilante guys are
my boys, which is not true, but they are the guys employed by the market to
protect people’s properties in the
market””
“I am sure the incident was unfortunate, because the guy in
question was just asked to leave the place, instead of him harrasing the shop
owner, but when he refused, the vigilante guy now tried to scare him by raising
his gun up, to shot into the air, maybe that would cause them to remain calm, but
luck now ran out on the loaders side who was later heated by the bullet shot and died before getting to the hospital.’’
Agumadu claimed.
Confirmimg the incident, Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. Uche Ezeh said one live was lost in the cource
of the incident while mobs descended on two vigilante persons beating them to a
coma.
Normalcy had since returned to the market, where trading activities
are going on smoothly and the atmosphere has
remain calm for business to thrive for intending buyers.