How Anambra traders launched acid attack on Soludo Anti-Touting operatives

Medical practitioners are battling to save the lives of four out the seven men of the Special Anambra Anti-Touting Squad (SASA) following the alleged massive acid attacks launched on them by some traders in the Ogbo Ogwu (pharmaceutical) market, Bridgehead in the Onitsha South Local Government Area of the state.

The incident, which occured on the 16th day of February, 2024 remains unforgettable for the Anti-Touting Squad who were on its usual official assignment of riding the Niger Bridgehead area of Agboros (touts), extorting money from transport operators and buyers from the surrounding markets.

The Anambra State Director of SASA, Mr. Solomon Chukwuebuka who spoke through the Public Relations Officer, PRO Anambra Vigilant Group, AVG, Mr. Nweke said; “in our bid to arrest the erring Agboros, (touts) some of them ran into the nearby Ogbo Ogwu (pharmaceutical) market but instead of the traders to assist our men to apprehend the touts, the traders gathered and attempted to lynch our men.

Recounting the ordeal of SASA men in the hands of the traders who ought to have been supportive in Governor Soludo’s crusade against touting in the state, SASA Director added; “on Friday the 16th of February, 2024, our men were on our usual official assignment to rid the Niger Bridgehead area of Agboros (touts) who stationed themselves there, extorting money from transport operators and buyers from the surrounding markets.

“As our men went after the culprits, some of the market traders launched massive acid attacks on them. Four, out the seven of our men sustained life threatening injuries from the acid attack and doctors are currently battling to save their lives in the hospital.

“As it became obvious that our men could not arrest the touts in the market as a result of the life threatening attack on them, they retreated, it was at that point that the Nigerian Navy, stationed at Uga junction area intervened and arrested the ugly situation.

“But instead of the commentator of the trending video on social media, which was sponsored by the leadership of the market to spin the detail of what happened, made the victims bathed with acid to become the villain, therefore exonerating the market authority from facing the consequences of their ill-action.

“It is unfortunate that Ogbo Ogwu market leaders accused our men of having killed a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. They even alleged that the touts that ran into their market were merely people urinating and our men were after them, forgetting that SASA officials are not Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, sanitary inspectors or environmental sanitation officers who have the responsibility to deal with such misdemeanor.

“The trades attack on our men brings into question the role of our informal private sector like markets, motor parks, amongst others in the war against crime in order to make Anambra State the liveable and prosperous State, which is the brainchild of His Excellency, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR who had vowed to make the State a place where markets, transport services and sundry private sector initiatives should thrive.

“It is really unfortunate that a suspected violator of the law fleeing from arrest will be given protection by a legitimate market whose leadership is duly recognized by the government of Anambra State. Meanwhile, market leaders were among the many major stakeholders who lent their voices to other Ndi-Anambra in passionately requesting Governor Soludo to rid Anambra State of Agboros and extortionists.

Speaking about the deceased young man, the SASA boss said it was when the local security in the market was trying to save the government anti-touting agent that they shots guns, aimed at scaring the angry traders away from mobbing the SASA men and on the process, a stray bullet from the market security outfit hit the victim and he later died a day after the incident.