From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Thugs suspected to have acted on the orders of Calabar South local government authorities have allegedly beaten up the vice chairman of Calabar Watt Market Petty Traders’ Association, Mr. Chinedu Igwe, and several others to a pulp and forcefully ejected them from their shops at Watt Market Shopping Center Complex, Calabar despite court order.
The suspected thugs were said to have been sent by the Calabar South council chairman, Mrs. Esther Bassey, to eject the traders, claiming they (traders) have refused to vacate their shops on December 30, 2022, as earlier agreed between authority of the council and the traders’ association.
The Calabar Watt Market Petty Traders’ Association and Okrika Traders Association have been in a running battle with the Calabar South local government authorities over rent, leading to subtle threats and counter threats by council authourities who are hell bent on taking back the shops.
The traders alleged that despite paying their yearly renewal fees, shop rents, daily levies, and Court orders, the council and its agents, the council is still went ahead to increased their renewal fee and forcefully collected same from them.
In Suit No.HC/382/2022, the traders, represented by Ike Bassey, Chinedu Igwe, Justina Okwugo, Judith Olichi Ozor, Ejije Nnaji, Sunday Okoh Chigozie Samuel, and Loretta Madu, for themselves, and representing the members of Okrika Traders Association in Open Space at Shopping Complex, Watt Market, Calabar South sought an “Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies or any one acting under their authority from using thugs or other unlawful means to eject the Claimants/Applicants from their spaces at the Shopping Complex, Watt Market, Calabar or doing anything inconsistent with the rights of the Claimants/Applicants pending the determination of the substantive suit.”