Traders at Onitsha Main Market were left in shock and distress on Sunday as Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo commenced demolition of the market, despite a pending court order restraining any such action.
According to eyewitnesses, security personnel—including military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and private security operatives—blocked access roads to the market from as early as midnight Saturday, paving the way for the demolition exercise.
By midday Sunday, portions of shops along Johnson Street and sections of the Gwongworo structure had been pulled down. Traders recounted harrowing experiences as they tried to salvage their goods.
Okeke Akasim, a trader, said, “I rushed to evacuate my wares at 2 a.m. when I heard the demolition had started. A security man demanded I ‘settle’ him before passing, and I gave him N500. When I reached my shop, it was already destroyed with my goods inside. I collapsed on seeing it.”
Another trader, who spoke anonymously, added that the iron structure of her shop was sold off by a vigilante operative despite her pleas, who questioned why traders had not cleared their goods within the given 14-day notice.
Scavengers reportedly capitalized on the situation, acquiring iron structures and materials from the demolished shops at low prices, turning the demolition into a business opportunity for them.
Security operatives have continued to barricade the market, preventing traders from entering, and the market remained closed at the time of reporting.
The demolition has drawn sharp criticism from traders and market associations, who argue that the exercise violates the court order and disrupts livelihoods, leaving many without access to their shops and goods.
