Robbery, extortion thrive at demolished Owerri market

Since last Saturday’s demolition of Eke Ukwu Owere by the Imo state government, robbery and extortion have been the order of the day.

Blueprint gathered that there had been cases of people breaking into shops picking cell phones, wrappers, clothes, jewelry, etc, belonging to real shop owners who could not meet the 48 hour deadline given by the government.

 

Also, Owerri natives who felt there would never be another opportunity to collect money from shop owners or street traders as used to be the case decided to cash in on the opportunity to force out money from those carrying their wares, iron doors or shelves, claiming that they (the non-indigenes) collaborated with the Governor to under-develop their land and leave them in penury.

 

They collect monies ranging from N1, 000 to N5, 000.

 

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, real business was still going on in all the adjoining streets of the market, especially on foodstuff, as if nothing had happened, while rods or irons gotten from the demolished buildings were being carried away by people, especially residents from the northern part of the country for brisk business elsewhere.

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