Onitsha Timber traders ask court to restraint LG Chairman from demolishing market

By Our correspondent

An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha has been asked to restrain the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Mr Emeka Orji, from further entering into the market and demolishing the structures therein.

In a motion on Notice filed by Clifford Iloegbune Okoye, counsel to the UBA Plank and Joist Association Ltd, the chairman, Chief Emmanuel Obumso and Mr Pius Okeke, they asked for the order of the Court to restrain the defendants, their privies, heirs, assigns, agents workmen, cohorts and thugs and any other person(s) from acting or taking instructions from the defendants.

They also asked that the defendants should desist from threats of demolition of any commercial shop or shops of the traders within the Bridgehead market, Onitsha in Onitsha South Local Government Area pending the hearing or determination of the substantive suit

The defendants in the Motion On Notice include the Local Government Area, its chairman, Mr. Emeka Orji and the Attorney General of Anambra State.

The traders had dragged the Local Government chairman to Court for demolishing their plaza built at the cost of several millions of naira sometime in 2023 but the Local Government and the chairman ignored them inspite of the pre-action notice and notice of hearing the matter which were duly served them.

Instead the Local Government chairman on March 14, 2024 at about 3pm sent some men to mark some shops for demolition after seven days of the notice.

The traders noted that they came to Court to rescue them because given the way the defendants carry out their “obnoxious action, they are poised to destroy more shops except restrained by this Court”.

The traders’ counsel said that the defendants have failed to file any paper in defence of this suit, rather they were poised to take laws into their hands.