Victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the North, who were resettled in Okpoko, near Onitsha, Anambra State, yesterday protested what they called “forceful ejection from their petty trading points—kiosks”.
The over 500 protesters lamented that the make-shift structures between the plastic market and Okpoko junction where they traded were demolished by the government.
They said they relocated to private compounds only for their goods to be destroyed by the government again without providing them alternatives.
The traders in a petition to the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Rev Val Okeke, urged him to prevail on the government to give them an alternative place.
They added that the government instead of assisting them as victims of Boko Haram, was worsening their condition.
Their spokesman, Charles Orji, said: “We constructed make-shift structures between the plastic market and Okpoko junction but that joy was short lived as the government stormed the market and demolished the structures, saying that we blocked the expressway with our wares.
“We were forced to move into compounds within the private site. But on June 24, we were forced out of the private sites and all our goods worth thousands of naira destroyed, mostly perishables.
“Our temporary stalls were pulled down with bulldozers without an alternative place.”
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Okonkwo Robert, could not be reached for comments.
