South East Traders Condemn Invasion of Markets By Biafran Agitators

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Saturday, November 28th, 2015

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Onitsha

Traders under the aegis of South-East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEAMATA) have condemned in its entirety the invasion of markets in the region by the pro-Biafra groups .

They said even though,they are in support of the Biafran movement, the idea of invading markets in the name of protest was highly unacceptable to them.

President-General of the association, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, and the secretary Mr. Temple Udeh, in a statement made available to newsmen, said that “in as much as we traders support the movement for Biafran state, we condemned the attitude of the pro-Biafra agitators/protesters that was infiltrated by miscreants.

The traders stated that the invasion of the markets by Biafra supporters in the name of protest, which led to vandalisation and destruction of shops, vehicles and other valuables belonging to their fellow Igbos was not only condemnable but unacceptable.

“To set the record straight and for the purposes of clarity, the traders are not challenging the constitutional right of peaceful assembly of any one.

“We only condemned the attitude of the protesters (or miscreants that infiltrated them) that went into markets chased the traders out and closed the entrances to the market.

“It was the maturity of the leadership that directed the security men in these markets not to challenge them that fore stalled casualties.

“The protest was not peaceful as it recorded casualties.

“If the Pro-Biafra protesters held their protest in a field or any stadium, there wouldn’t have been any issue to warrant all these misrepresentation of intentions”, they stated.

The traders recalled that when it protested the alleged relocation of Boko Haram detainees to Anambra State, the protesters went on without harassing or disturbing anybody going about his of her businesses.

It noted that when the entire South East traders protested, and another protest took place in Ekwulobia stadium, no individual was molested unlike the pro-Biafra protesters.