Traders at the Afor Awkunanaw market in the Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State are currently suffering after the Governor Peter Mbah-led administration demolished their shops without providing alternatives or compensating them.
The Afor Awkunanaw market, commonly known as Garriki Market, was demolished on Monday despite residents’ outcry against the widespread demolition of businesses and private motor parts along Market Road and other areas across the state.
The Enugu State government, through the Ministry of Transport, stated that the demolition was necessary to pave the way for a modern bus terminal, enhancing Enugu Metropolis’s aesthetic appeal.
The affected traders had received prior notice to vacate since last year, but some were only given a 72-hour notice last Thursday.
On Monday, demolition machinery moved into Garriki and started dismantling stalls in the market, including existing motor parks.
Mr. Friday Nnamani, a foodstuffs seller, told Sahara Reporters that the 72-hour notice last Thursday was insufficient, and many traders could not move their goods in time. “They came last week Thursday and gave us 72 hours to pack so that our shops will be demolished. We couldn’t move at such a short notice and today they came and started demolishing our sheds with bulldozers and caterpillars. I don’t know where to go now or what to do,” he said.
Another trader, Jude Oke, who sells livestock feed, mentioned that their shops were not initially marked for demolition until last week. “They never informed us that we would be affected by the demolition. They had marked other places and the traders started removing their goods and valuables, but in our case, we were not given enough notice. You can see I could not remove anything. Somebody called me and told me that they have started demolishing our sheds and I came here to see that my shop and others have been demolished,” he explained.
An eyewitness reported seeing a woman faint after her shed was demolished. He also described how a man who owned four sheds saw all of them destroyed.
Similar demolitions are planned for Ogige Market in Nsukka and Abakpa Nike Market, and it’s expected that those affected will experience similar distress.
Concerned about the potential impact of demolishing Ogige Nsukka Market, the chairman of Nsukka Journalists Forum, Comrade BenWhyte Ezeugwu, urged the state government to either halt the demolition or provide temporary relocation options for the traders before proceeding.
