By Praise Chinecherem
Traders in building materials market, Ogidi/Ogbunike in Idemili and Oyi Local Government Areas of Anambra State on Friday protested alleged extortion and seal of shops by suspected officials of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)
The protesters carried placards with the various inscriptions alleged that their wares were impounds while some shops were sealed following their refusal to pay the sum of N8million.
Some of the placards read, “SON enough is enough, say no to illegal extortion by SON, SON stop intimidating us. SON stop demanding money from us. SON go to wharf not markets”, among others.
Spokesperson of the traders and chairman of Marvelous line, Kenneth Ofoegbunam urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to come to the rescue of the traders.
He said, “SON officers came into our market today to impound our goods and seal some shops because we refused to pay N8million extortion.
“They first came about three weeks ago and sealed four shops out of 30 shops they told us that they will seal or we pay #8million for offence they didn’t disclose to us.
“They said just pay #8million and and you are set free from embarrassment and we said no. After some days they came again with NSCDC personnel and we chased them away.
“Today they reinforced, came with five Hilux load of policemen, NSCDC, and other security men and made straight to the shops they sealed previously to impound the goods therein but we resisted them.
“They started shooting guns into the air to scare us and on the process made away with some goods worth millions of nร ira.
“The SON personnel should be confined only at the wharf and country boundaries and not markets.”
Also reacting, Secretary of Success line in the market, Mr. Tochukwu Uduezue said, “How can we pay #8million for us to be free from offence we didn’t commit and where do we get the money from?
“The wharf and boundaries are there for them to operate in and not the markets.We are mere marketers and not importers and deal in genuine business with documents to back up our purchases.
“What they are doing is illegal and we will not relent in resisting the payment of #8million extortion. Governor Soludo should please come to our rescue.”
Most shops were under lock and key over fear of return of the officials for seizure of goods and seal of more shops as at the time of filing this report.
