Stampede in Onitsha as police kill trader

Posted by admin Anambra, Headlines, Nigerian Police, State News Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Business activities were, on Wednesday, disrupted in the electronics market in Onitsha, as traders protested the killing of one of their members by the police.

The incident, according to eyewitness account, happened when policemen allegedly shot at a trader who was fleeing from police, resulting to his death on the spot, as traders at the market mobilised to stage a violent protest against the police.

According to our source, who pleaded anonymity, the deceased had earlier been arrested by the police in connection with some crimes allegedly committed in the market, but tried to escape when the police shot at him resulting to his death.

Speaking to journalists, the chairman of the electronics market, Chief Okechukwu Okoli, said that trouble started when one of the street urchins, popularly known as, Ndi-Oso-Afia, who was earlier arrested by the police, tried to escape and was shot by the police.

Chief Okoli said that the deceased and some other members of Ndi Oso-Afia had been earlier arrested by the police and were ready to be arraigned in the court today when one of them tried to escape and was incidentally shot dead by the police.

However, the source said that after the death of one of the suspected market urchins, his group mobilised to attack the market executive, led by Chief Okoli, destroying property worth millions of naira in the electronics market.

“The boys mobilised immediately when they heard that one of their members had been shot. They overpowered the police and carried the corpse of their member into the office of the market executive where they destroyed the office and other shops in the market. During their protest, shops were broken and items were carted away,” he said.

-Tribunewp_posts