The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Igbo traders

  • Benue: Igbo traders cry out over kidnapping

    Months after paying ransom abductors still holding victim

    Igbo businessmen and women in Gboko, Benue State, have appealed to security agencies to come to their aid by putting an immediate end to the incessant kidnapping of their members in the town.

    Gboko is the traditional headquarters of the Tiv.

    An Igbo leader in the community, Chief Chukwu Okafor, told The Nation that wealthy Igbo living in the town seem to have become ready targets of kidnappers.

    Okafor claimed that the security agencies have not been helping matters as no suspect has ever been arrested.

    He admitted that ransoms were usually paid to get victims released with the kidnappers allegedly threatening relations of victims that they would be killed if the security agencies were informed.

    He said 13 Igbo have been kidnapped in the community within the last one year.

    He cited the case of a trader, Aniegbu Chukwuka Kenneth, who was kidnapped on his way home on February 4, 2019 and has not been released even after his family paid the ransom demanded by his abductors.

    He said no one knows for sure whether he is still alive or dead.

    He listed those kidnapped over the last one year as:

    Onyeka Okpara kidnapped on November 19, 2018; Ugochukwu Ikegwuonu first kidnapped on February 5, 2015 and for second time on  December 1, 2018;Chief Celestine Agbo (August  28, 2018);

    Lolo Esther Nwoke  (March 18, 2019);Cajethan Anya Ugochukwu  (Oct 8, 2018); Ifeanyi Ikegwuonu  (October 28, 2017); Romanus Mouma  (May 13, 2019); and Oluchukwu Orah  (AKA) Orlando  (May 13, 2019).

    Some of the victims who spoke to The Nation narrated how they were kidnapped and taken into deep forests while ransom was negotiated with their wives and relations.

    Contacted, the spokesman for the State Police   Command Kate Anene, a DSP, said by phone that the crime wave in Gboko was being brought under control with the deployment of more police personnel to the area.

    “A police special squad had been deployed to Gboko to smoke out the hoodlums,” he said.

    She warned against payment of ransom to kidnappers   and advised the public to report cases of kidnapping to the nearest police station for necessary action.

     

  • ‘I won’t discriminate against Igbo traders’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1 in Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, has assured Igbo traders, youths and women of quality representation if elected on Saturday.

    Alli-Macaulay, in a statement yesterday, hailed the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for providing the needed leadership for the party’s candidates.

    She promised to treat the constituents equally if given the mandate.

    Alli-Macaulay said: “Our people in Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1 deserve better representation than what is obtainable at the moment. As a woman, I have a feel of what our women are going through in the area of meeting family needs, especially in supporting their husbands to raise the family.

    “By the grace of God, women and youths empowerment will be given priority if I am elected. I will also use my position to attract projects that have direct and positive bearings on the traders and the constituents. I will definitely surpass the past representatives in Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1.

    “Women all over the world have proved to be better manager of positions and resources. I will uplift the constituency to a position of preeminence in the comity of other constituencies in Lagos State.”

  • Tension in Kaduna as fear of reprisal grips Igbos

    Tension in Kaduna as fear of reprisal grips Igbos

    Hundreds of Igbo traders in Kaduna metropolis momentarily closed shops Friday following rumour of a looming reprisal by youths after the Jumat service.

    The rumoured attack was said to be a response to reported killings of Hausa/Fulanis in Abia State by alleged Biafran agitators.

    But the tension fizzled out when there was no such attack anywhere in the state.

    Shops owned by Igbo traders  at the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Central Market and the neighbouring markets were hurriedly locked before the Juma’at Prayer.

    While many didn’t open for business throughout the day again, others who did in the afternoon could not display their goods.

    An Igbo trader at Chechenia Market. Mr. Mark Ibe, said they decided to lock their shops on the strength of rumour on the social media that Thursday’s violence in Jos would spill over to Kaduna yesterday.

    “You can even see that I I’m not displaying my wares fully outside and the shop entrance is partly closed,” he said.

    “This is to avoid destruction. Should anything happen, I can easily disappear.

    “The tension affected our business, as those who wanted to buy things couldn’t see us in the shop.

    “Some of us may not even open for business for some time to allow tension cool down.” Meanwhile, security agents paraded the city and normalcy returned around midday.

    Earlier on Thursday, the state government and the police had assured everyone in the state of adequate security.

    At a meeting with Igbo and Yoruba communities in Kaduna, Police Commissioner Agyole Abeh advised residents to go about their normal businesses.

    “There is no crisis in Kaduna. The state is peaceful, I advise everybody to open his shops as usual and do your business,” he said.

    “Don’t be apprehensive, the rumour is baseless and unfounded. Our men are on the  alert all the time to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the State.”

    Responding, Chris Nnoli and Yinka Olapade for the Igbo and Yoruba communities respectively thanked the Police for their action.

    The two community leaders blamed social media for the unwarranted rumour, and assured the police that they would take the message back to their people that Kaduna is actually peaceful.

     

  • Igbo traders in Bayelsa shut down shops over attacks 

    Igbo traders in Bayelsa shut down shops over attacks 

    Shops and other business premises belonging to Igbo traders at Biogbolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, have remained shut following attacks on traders by aggrieved youths from the area.

    Investigations, Thursday, revealed that all the shops at Customs Road and Green Villa extending to the Yenagoa-Mbiama Road could not open for business out of fears that the youths were regrouping for fresh attacks.

    The attackers have been protesting an alleged ritual killing of 17-year-old Faith Omosovu Pius by a 31-year-old non-indigene identified as Tochukwu at the New Wapo Hotel located in the area.

    Many traders have fallen victims of the attacks with their shops and business premises shattered and burnt by the youths.

    The police and the army have been patrolling the affected areas to stop further damage and restore the peace in the area.

    Government authorities and security agents were said to have held meetings with traditional rulers and community leaders to douse tension and prevent the situation from snowballing into full-blown inter-tribal war.

    The authorities were said to be prevailing on the angry indigenes to stop spreading hate speeches against non-indigenes especially Igbo traders because of the misdeeds an individual.

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, while condemning the killing, appealed to the indigenes to stop attacking innocent people.

    The Acting Chairman, IYC Central Zone, Mr. Amiebi Turner, said instead of assaulting innocent non-indigenes, the aggrieved persons should channel their energy towards finding and bringing the culprit to book.

    Turner said: “The IYC central zone wishes to condemn in totality the murder of a promising Ijaw daughter, while we also advise our youths to remain calm, peaceful and avoid acts that may disrupt the existing peace in the state.

    “We understand the pains, we feel the rage, but we advise against taking laws into your hands. As we push for moves aimed at apprehending the culprit and to restore order.

    “Since the incident, we have engaged security agencies to intensify hunt of the suspected murderer of our beloveth daughter, which they have promised to do, on our path, we owe the duty to provide useful informations.

    “The entire Ijaw youths in Central zone wishes to commiserate with the bereaved family and the entire Biogbolo – Epie community in the state capital, on this sad and painful loss, we pray God to give you all the fortitude to bear this great loss.

    “We also use this opportunity to advise security agencies to stop the chase and assault on youths of Biogbolo community, so as not to aggravate the situation but to rather employ diplomatic measures that will be void of martial law.

    “We condemn this dastardly and criminal act in very strong terms, but we must allow security agencies do their work to unravel the mystery behind this unjust killing. We also advise residents in the area to remain peace abiding and not see it as an ethnic or tribal issue, for crime is crime”.

    Turner commended the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Yenagoa, Mr. Oboku Oforji, for his timely intervention and advised traders and residents to go about their normal activities.

    Oboku also called on the people of Biogbolo-Epie community to be peaceful and law abiding insisting that efforts were ongoing to resolve the killing.

    Oboku, who spoke in after a meeting involving him, the police and the community chiefs at Biogbolo Town Hall, described the incident as “regrettable”.

    He said that a committee was set up to handle the matter with a view to bringing justice to the grieving family and the community.

    “We are working very hard, and we are gathering  more information. What we want to do is to see that justice is done by apprehending the culprit.

    “The committee has swung into action, and has started getting results only for violence to break out again today”, he said.

    But the council boss appealed to the Igbo traders in the community to stay away in the meantime, adding that “it will not be long we will ask them to  return and start their normal businesses.”

    “They (the Igbo traders) are aware that somebody died and it’s painful, and that is the reason why the shops should temporarily close down, and hopefully we will call them to return to their shops”, he said.

     

  • Igbo traders want adequate security in Kwara market

    Igbo traders want adequate security in Kwara market

    Traders under the auspices of Kwara Igbo Traders Association (KWAITA) on Monday demanded adequate security in all the markets in the state.

    The traders also want the provision of a standby fire service and firefighter station in Oja-Tuntun market in Ilorin, the capital.

    The Oja-tuntun market was about two weeks ago, gutted by fire destroying no less than 40 lock-up shops and many attachments.

    The traders led by the President General of the Igbo community in Kwara state, Boniface Okeke, said this when they met with the Ilorin West local government Transition Implementation Commit (TIC) chair, Abdulhameed Ali in Ilorin.

    Mr Okeke who was represented by Mr Dennis Omukwe urged the TIC chair to constitute better, functional and competent market authority comprising of all stakeholders trading in the market for the day to day administration of the market.

    “We also plead for the reconstruction of those shops and several compensations to be instituted to alleviate the victims from this unexpected hardships.

    “Less than a year ago, we were called upon by our members trading in that market about a fire disaster that destroyed 40 lock-up shops and over 20 attachment shops and goods and property worth millions of Naira.

    “We appreciate Senate President Bukola Saraki, the state and local governments for their interviews reconstructing those shops and the financial aid given to the victims.

    “It is not up to one year on April 1st this year another fire outbreak was reported destroying another shops and attachment with goods worth millions of Naira. It was blamed on electricity. This claim is unacceptable. The market men and women trading in that market are in deep sorrow.”

    In his response, Always Ali said the state government had already approved the provision of a fire service station in the market.

    He promised to provide land for the Igbo traders to build shops in the council.

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  • Igbo traders to police: we’re not safe in Bayelsa

    Igbo traders in Bayelsa State yesterday protested the murder of their colleagues by suspected gunmen.

    They were particularly angered by the alleged murder of a businessman, Agodo Martins at his Yenagoa home on Monday.

    The hoodlums were said to have broken into the home of the businssman, who owns a popular boutique, Omars Fashion Plaza, in the Ompadec area of the Yenagoa-Mbiama Road.

    It was gathered that the gunmen, who stormed Martins’ home on Punch Road, reportedly asked for money from their victim.

    The businessman reportedly told his assailants that there was no cash at home because shops in the capital city were shut down for about four days in honour of the late Governor  Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was buried on Saturday.

    After ransacking his apartment, the hoodlums were said to have killed Martins in the presence of his new wife.

    The protesters, led by the President of Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC), Chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, recalled that Martins was killed a few days after gunmen killed another Igbo businessman, identified simply as Ugochukwu, popularly called Ugo Best.

    It was gathered that Ugochukwu was killed on the Azikoro road on his way home.

    A source, who spoke in confidence said: “He was close to his house in company of his wife when gunmen in commercial tricycle blocked his car. They dragged him out of the car and forced him into the tricycle.

    “His body was discovered the next day at the Azikoro cemetery with his hands and legs tied up. He was a successful businessman, who built a big house at the Azikoro village. We are scared”.

    The traders also related how another businessman was murdered at the Tombia area, adding that others were harassed and injured by arm-bearing youths.

    The traders assembled at the front of Omars boutique, forced shops to close down and marched with anger to the state command of the police.

    They were received by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Peter Ogunyawo, and other senior police officers.

    Presenting their grievances, Arthur-Ugwa said: “The Igbo are no longer safe in Bayelsa. We are being killed by gunmen. One was killed at Azikoro, the other one was killed at Tombia and today another one who just got married was killed in cold blood.

    “We are not happy and we have closed down our business to come and tell you at the headquarters that we are not safe. If you cannot guarantee our safety, we will relocate our business and families out of the state. We are pleading for your assistance”.

    Ogunyawo said crimes exist everywhere and were not targeted at the Igbo.

    He said death is one debt everybody must pay and that nobody knows how it will be paid.

    He said the command was doing everything possible to check the crime wave in the state and asked the traders to furnish the police with information to enable them become effective.

    “We can’t be effective if you don’t partner with us. Once you have feelings of any crime, let us know. You don’t need to run to anywhere because crimes exist everywhere”, he said.

  • Igbo traders protest ‘outrageous’ tax in Ekiti

    Igbo traders protest ‘outrageous’ tax in Ekiti

    •Fayose seals banks, petrol station, over 100 shops
    •Angry traders invade revenue office

    Scores of Igbo shop owners on Secretariat Road, Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday protested what they called “outrageous taxes” imposed on them by the Ayo Fayose administration.

    Over 100 shops belonging to Igbo traders, Zenith and Diamond banks and NNPC mega filling station were shut by officials of the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) in an operation that began at 9am.

    The traders marched from their shops to the BIR headquarters opposite Old Governor’s Office and sang songs such as “We no go gree o, we no go gree”, among others.

    Frightened BIR workers shut their doors on the protesters and didn’t open them until the 4pm closing time.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Ropo Ogunjobi was not at his desk when the protesters invaded the BIR headquarters.

    The traders claimed that they entered into an agreement with BIR for a tax rate of N5,500 but officials of the tax agency visited their business offices yesterday morning claiming the agreed tax no longer subsists.

    Chairman of Secretariat Road Traders Association Uchenna Madunagu claimed that BIR imposed taxes ranging between N75,000 and N180,000 on the traders, which he said are too much for their businesses.

    Madunagu said the traders were forced out of their shops by stern-looking armed policemen, civil defence officers and suspected thugs clutching chains and padlocks.

    The traders’ boss claimed that most of the traders still had cash, passbooks, cheques and keys to their homes inside the shops.

    Madunagu said: “The newly imposed taxes have no basis anywhere because a tax is supposed to be based on your income and you don’t do assessment of taxes in your room, you have to come to our shops and see the business we run.

    “You don’t have to send hoodlums and thugs to close our shops. Imagine a shop that the goods inside is not up to N200,000 being asked to pay N100,000.

    “The most painful part is that we entered into an agreement with the tax people and they gave us a bill of N5,500 and as the chairman, I told my members because things are difficult in Ekiti and Nigeria now.

    “We came to their office based on the agreement of N5,500 only for them to tell us that the one we agreed upon is no longer valid that they are coming up with new taxes.

    “They came with keys, chains and other things and used force to intimidate us. Why should shop owners in Ajilosun be paying N3,500 and those in Fajuyi be paying N5,500 and those of us on Secretariat Road be paying between N75,000 and N180,000?

    “We have been paying taxes every year, not that we don’t want to pay but this latest tax regime is unbearable and their approach is selective because we contribute much to commerce and economy in Ekiti.

    “Most of our belongings such as keys to our houses, cash, cheque books, passbooks and other valuables have been locked inside by the government agents.

    “They should open our shops and listen to us, we are citizens of this country and we should not be marginalised because we are contributing between 80 and 90 per cent to the economy in Ekiti.”

    Secretary of the association Chizom Unegbu urged Fayose to reduce the taxes, saying there should be no selective application of taxes in the state.

    Ogunjobi said the question of the traders paying N5,500 never emanated from his office.

    He said: “Those traders are lying.  The N5,500 they are talking about is not from this office because what we are talking about now is the Personal Income Tax.

    “We have assessed them, they should go and collect the assessment notice and go to the bank and pay their taxes.”

    Diamond bank was said to be owing operational tax which used to be N10,000 in the past but has been jerked up to N120,000.

    A source said the tax has been paid after which the bank was reopened, meaning that its doors will be opened to customers today.

     

  • Igbo traders: we lost N150m to Ekiti violence

    The Igbo community in Ekiti State has said its members lost money and goods worth N150 million in last Wednesday’s clash between commercial drivers and Hausa settlers in Ado-Ekiti and the market fire, which followed on Friday.

    Addressing a briefing in Ado Ekiti yesterday, state president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Nathaniel Uzomah claimed that Igbo traders  lost N100 million and goods worth N50 million.

    He said the victims have been economically incapacitated.

    Uzomah said the Igbo are tired of being victims of violence they know nothing about.

    The Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader called on the government to compensate them.

    Uzomah, however, condemned security agencies for failing in their duties to protect the Erekesan Market, which was burnt down  during the curfew imposed by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Uzomah said:  “We want to state categorically that we condemn in its totality the needless mayhem just witnessed in Ado-Ekiti recently where the main market, Oja Oba, was razed.

    “Security operatives should be blamed for failing in their duties to secure the market.

    “Since there was a dusk-to-dawn curfew, we expected that security operatives should have been on top of the situation.

    “We also blame the initially aggrieved party for fomenting trouble when it was learnt that a woman, said to be the wife of one of the drivers’ union leaders, was allegedly robbed around the market.

    “The aggrieved party should have reported the robbery to security operatives, instead of fighting the other party.

    “We want to also reveal that in the recent fracas, our traders have lost over N50 million worth of goods, which were bought on credit.

    “We call for compensation for all the victims. We urge  the government to put in place measures to prevent further damage and harm to our traders.

    “We also urge indigenes to stop being hostile to our people.”