Aba Market Shut Down After Traders Attack Firefighters

By Emmanuel Awosika

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has authorized the immediate shutdown of the Umuehilegbu Industrial Market in Aba, the commercial center of the state.

According to statement released by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the action was necessitated by the violent treatment of firefighters from the Abia State Fire Service by some members of the market.

The Governor also suspended the committee directing the affairs of the market, and asked security personnel to arrest all those involved in the violence for eventual prosecution.

Reportedly, the firefighters had arrived the market after being called to put fires that were raging through certain sections of the market. However, the shoemakers had set upon the firefighters, beating them and destroying their vehicle in the process.

The Aba Zonal Commander of the Abia State Fire Service narrated the ordeal in an interview, saying they had barely escaped death following the attack by the mob.

“The shoemakers attacked us, destroyed our vehicle and injured us without any form of provocation except for them coming to extinguish the fire. We got a call about a fire outbreak at shoe plaza in Ariaria International market.

“They attacked us didn’t allow us to do our job when we got there all the way from our office. They started beating us, stole our phone, destroyed our vehicle for no reason just we came there to do our job. I don’t know what they really wanted from us.

“These people started beating us while the fire was still burning. The police came to our rescue. They beat our driver, one of our workers got his arm broken,” he said.

Multiple outlets suggest that the actions of the shoemakers were borne out of anger at the Fire Service’s delay in responding to calls to put out the fire. By the time the Fire Service had arrived, the fire had consumed dozens of shops, prompting the shoemakers to take out their frustration on the firefighters.