By Praise Chinecherem
Two members of a 15-man caretaker committee members of Onitsha Bridgehead market, Anambra State, reportedly escaped death by the whiskers following assault by suspected thugs for allegedly coming to arrest the market President General, Hon. Chinedu Ezekweike, in his residence.
One of the victims, comrade Pascal Ezekwere, vice President General, told newsmen from his hospital bed that trouble started for them when they reported the chairman to zone 13 Police Command for not rendering account of stewardship, high handedness and excluding them in piloting the affairs of the market.
“Based on our petition the chairman, Ezekweike, was invited by the AIG zone 13 Ukpo, and granted bail and asked to come last Friday, for auditing of our book of account by an independent auditor and we all agreed but he jumped bail. The IPO came to the market but did not see the chairman and asked me and Pascal, to come to Awada police station to lead him to the chairman’s house which we did but when we got to his house he refused to open door and we left.
“On getting to MCC axis, the IPO boarded a vehicle to Zone 13 and as I and Pascal climbed the pedestrian bridge and came down to board a vehicle to the market, about 20 thugs rushed to us, they came with tricycles, beat us up to stupor, saying we took some thugs to the chairman’s house to attack him.
“They bundled us to unknown destination and hit my leg with iron but after explaining to them what happened, they regretted their action and blamed the chairman for telling them that we are thugs when we are not but rather caretaker committee members having issues with chairman, I am now in the hospital,” he revealed.
The other victim, Hon. Obinna Umeh who is the treasurer, corroborated the position of the vice PG adding that they were beating to stupor and accused of coming to the chairman’s house with thugs.
“We never came with thugs but with the IPO and Ezekweike didn’t open the door and we left. It was when we got to MCC that the IPO departed for zone 13 and we were coming down to the other side of the road to enter a vehicle to our market when about 40 thugs with tricycles, rushed and beat us to near death. Carried us in their tricycles to a place and hit the vice PG with iron on his leg.
“After explaining our case with the chairman, they regretted what they did to us and demanded that we should give them #20,000 which we did and they left, accussing the chairman of not telling them the truth and for labeling us thugs,” he disclosed further.
In a swift reaction when contacted, the chairman described them as evil men who have continued to cause crisis in the market adding that they came to his house with thugs, suspected kidnappers and people of questionable character.
“I did not open the door for them because they came with thugs, I don’t know if they wanted to kidnap me because some looked like kidnappers and questionable characters. As I talk to you I am still being threatened, this morning two people on bike were pointing at my house.
“The AIG is not the person who gave me this job. He has no right to probe me. The Government that gave me this job never accused me of embezzlement. I am in the market to protect the interest of Government.
“For them to say I sent thugs to beat them, is it from my house when they were looking for meto attack that I sent thugs to attack them,” he querried.
He reiterated that no amount of intimidation would deter him from piloting the affairs of the market the way the government directed him pointing out that,” The cause of the crisis is because I refused to share money generated in the market”.
